Instead of the use of plastic, can seaweed be used as an alternate source of packaging?
While plastic is used for various equipments, some of the most common plastics in production today are mostly used for packaging of products.
With plastic waste being a major issue today, due to it’s slightly biodegradable nature, alternate sources have been put up for research in order to reduce the plastic production and distribution in the market.
As said earlier, plastics are commonly used for packaging, with this in mind, researchers have been able to find an alternate source for packaging- Seaweed.
What makes seaweed a substantial alternate that can help reduce waste?
Seaweed are rich in polysaccharides. The polysaccharides in them is what makes them a great source of packaging.
seaweed makes will serve as a great source for packaging as disposing them would hardly cause any waste, this is due to their edible nature, meaning after they’ve been used as packaging, they can also serve as food for farm animals. Seaweed are also degradable when exposed to water for a certain amount of time.
How is seaweed converted to packaging materials?
Converting seaweed to Packaging materials involve 8 steps:
1. Harvesting:
Seaweed is sustainably harvested from the ocean or cultivated in underwater farms. Sustainable practices are crucial to ensure the health of marine ecosystems.
2. Cleaning and Preprocessing:
The harvested seaweed is thoroughly cleaned to remove any impurities such as sand, salt, and marine debris. This step is essential to ensure the quality of the seaweed material.
3. Extraction of Alginate:
Alginate is a natural biopolymer found in seaweed and is a key component in seaweed-based packaging. To extract alginate, the cleaned seaweed is typically ground into a pulp or powder.
4. Alginate Solution:
The ground seaweed is mixed with a solvent, often an alkaline solution like sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. This process dissolves the alginate into a solution, leaving behind any non-alginate materials.
5. Precipitation:
The alginate solution is then carefully precipitated or neutralized, usually with calcium chloride or another calcium salt. This causes the alginate to solidify into a gel-like substance.
6. Extrusion or Molding:
The alginate gel can be processed into various forms, depending on the desired packaging material. It can be extruded into sheets, films, or molded into specific shapes.
7. Drying:
The formed seaweed-based material is dried to remove excess moisture, making it suitable for use as packaging. Drying methods can include air-drying or using specialized drying equipment.
8. Cutting and Shaping:
The dried seaweed-based material is cut and shaped into the desired packaging formats, such as bags, wraps, or containers.
After this, products are passed on for quality control and then distributed.
Are there any disadvantage to seaweed procession?
The only disadvantage faced by the used of seaweed as packaging materials is the price. Currently, seaweed packaging are more expensive than plastic packaging.
What are the steps being put in place to take this challenge?
It is believed that as the seaweed market grows bigger and more packaging companies key into it, prices are destined to drop. It is only a matter of time.
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