Commercialising the production of compostable plastics from seafood waste

Tiger prawns Source: Sea-Ex

A team of post-graduate students from the University of Sydney comprising of a chemist, plant pathologist and business student are looking to launch a pilot study to make biodegradable strawberry packaging from waste crustacean shells and other all-natural ingredients. The students co-founded the company, Carapac, and are seeking funding for the pilot study.

A range of plastics can be made from crustacean shells, which do not biodegrade on the shelf but do when they reach soil which contains bacteria that break down the plastic. The students claim the compostable plastic improves the overall quality of the soil by releasing nutrients plus acting as a slow release nitrogen fertiliser.

Such sustainable, biodegradable plastics have huge potential to replace current single use plastics, particularly food packaging and plastic bags.

Reference: Idea for new plastics falls on fertile ground. The Weekend Australian, September 1-2, 2018 : https://www.theaustralian.com.au › business