Biopolymers and Bioplastics

Ocean plastic research is a relatively emerging discipline, addressing the vast quantities of plastic waste polluting our oceans, lakes, rivers, and land. Each year, approximately 8 million metric tons of plastic end up in the ocean, with about 236,000 tons comprising microplastics—tiny fragments smaller than a fingernail. In areas like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, plastic debris surpasses the abundance of natural prey at the sea's surface, leading to significant ecological consequences. Marine organisms, such as sea turtles caught in fisheries around this region, can have up to 74% of their diets (by dry weight) made up of ocean plastics. Alarmingly, projections suggest that by 2050, the weight of plastics in the ocean could surpass that of fish.