Chemists have successfully produced a fully recyclable plastic using whole-cell microalgae as the primary raw material—eliminating the need for fossil-based feedstocks. The research team extracted and polymerized the naturally occurring bio‐oils and carbohydrates inside the algae, creating a renewable monomer that can be repeatedly depolymerized and reformed without losing its mechanical strength. Unlike previous approaches that used purified algal oils, this method uses entire algae cells, greatly reducing processing costs and environmental waste. Initial lab tests show the algae-based polymer has comparable tensile properties to conventional polyethylene and requires 35% less energy to produce.
The new plastic can be fully recycled through closed-loop chemical recycling, allowing the material to break down back into its original monomers under mild conditions. Currently, a pilot-scale reactor is producing several kilograms of algae-based polymer per day, and researchers aim to scale to 10 tonnes annually within the next two years. Scientists estimate that switching even 10% of global plastic production to algae-based feedstocks could reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 50 million tons annually. Further testing is underway to examine its biodegradability in marine environments and its suitability for food packaging applications. More