Seaweed start-ups Sway and Umaro have been awarded a $1.5m US Department of Energy (DOE) grant to accelerate innovation in sustainable seaweed-based bioplastics.
The Mixed Algae Conversion Research Opportunity (MACRO) grant will support the development of new processing techniques that upcycle alginate sidestreams from Umaro’s seaweed protein production into Sway’s seaweed-based biomaterials.
Seaweed has emerged as a promising new feedstock for sustainable bioplastics, biofuels and other bioproducts. It is known as a regenerative resource due to its ability to nurture habitats, improve water quality and boost biodiversity. Additionally, it is fast-growing and requires no fresh water, fertiliser or arable land.
Start-ups such as Sway are championing its use as a next-generation packaging material, including for food and beverage applications, providing a sustainable alternative to fossil fuel-derived plastics. The natural polymers seaweed contains can be transformed into bioplastics for eco-friendly, home-compostable packaging solutions.
Alginate, the polysaccharide derived from brown seaweed, offers several functional benefits when incorporated into bioplastic formulations. It can work as a thickening, gelling and stabilising agent thanks to its gel-forming properties and high viscosity. These qualities can enhance the mechanical strength and flexibility of bioplastics, enabling compatibility with traditional manufacturing equipment and diverse applications including packaging, films and coatings.
Seaweed is also gaining traction within the food and beverage industry as a sustainable and high-quality source of protein. Umaro is innovating in this area with its flagship product, a plant-based bacon made from red seaweed protein, now available in Whole Foods stores in California, US.
The start-up recently developed an innovative process for separating protein from kelp – a ubiquitous brown seaweed – and is investigating sustainable uses for the polysaccharides left over from the process.
Under the collaboration with support from the MACRO grant, Umaro will upgrade its alginate-rich polysaccharides into a product well-suited for Sway’s compostable bioplastic products.
Beth Zotter, CEO of Umaro, said: “With the right chemistry, seaweed has enormous potential to solve two problems at once: the need for sustainable materials and the need for sustainable proteins. Until now, no commercial process could generate both of these products from the same piece of seaweed.”
She added: “We’re eager to collaborate with Sway to apply our breakthrough technology to their industry-leading seaweed bioplastics, while improving the unit economics of both our products simultaneously.”
Launched earlier this year, Sway’s ‘TPSea’ pellets are made entirely from seaweed and plants. TPSea can be extruded on its own or combined with compostable polymers through various manufacturing techniques to create a range of customised products with boosted renewable content.
The pellets are currently used as the base of its ‘Sway Polybags’, and the team plans to expand its portfolio into new flexible packaging applications – a category representing 40% of all fossil fuel-derived packaging – as well as new rigid formats.
This project forms part of $20.2 million in funding distributed to ten university and industry projects to advance mixed algae development for low-carbon biofuels and bioproducts, spearheaded by the DOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office and Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management.
The selected projects will address high-impact research and development focused on converting algae, such as seaweeds and other waste feedstocks, to low-carbon fuels, chemicals and agricultural products that can decarbonise domestic transportation and industry.
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