Microalgae as a biomanufacturing platform for bioplastics

塑料是现代经济的基础，但我们对塑料的依赖已经付出了沉重的环境代价。在过去的二十年中，全球塑料产量增长了80%，达到每年3.7亿公吨（Statista，2022），占所有温室气体（GHG）排放量的3.4%。2020年，仅英国塑料制造业的二氧化碳排放量就达240万公吨（Statista，2020年）。2016年，英国也是世界上人均塑料废物第二大产生国（Statista，2016）。生物基和生物降解塑料是解决这一问题的重要组成部分，因为它们分别减少了与生产和处置相关的碳足迹和污染。PhycoWorks和FlexSea之间为期6个月的合作可行性研究将评估和优化微藻作为生物塑料生物制造平台的使用。

Plastics are a foundation of the modern economy, but our dependence on plastics has come at a heavy environmental cost. Global production of plastics has increased by 80% in the past two decades, reaching 370 million metric tons per year (Statista, 2022), and is responsible for 3.4% of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Carbon dioxide emissions from plastic manufacturing in the UK alone amounted to 2.4 million metric tonnes in 2020 (Statista, 2020). The UK was also the world's second largest generator of plastic waste per capita in 2016 (Statista, 2016). Bio-based and bio-degradable plastics are an important part of the solution to this problem, due to the reduced carbon footprint and pollution associated with their production and disposal, respectively. This 6-month collaborative feasibility study between PhycoWorks and FlexSea will evaluate and optimise the use of microalgae as a biomanufacturing platform for bioplastics.