Abstract

From a historical perspective, the 20th century saw the fast expansion of the plastic production industry. Numerous uses are possible because of the low cost and adaptability of plastics. Bioplastics were developed because plastics are not biodegradable and have been shown to have harmful impacts on people, animals, and the environment. Bioplastics may be produced from renewable biological sources and are biodegradable. The same uses apply to bioplastics as to plastics. Bioplastics can come from a variety of sources, including plants, animals, and microorganisms, but they are limited in several ways, including the inability to get large biomass and the challenges associated with cultivation. When compared to other microbial sources that require a specific environment for cultivation, seaweeds have a high biomass, can grow in a variety of environments, and can be cultivated in the natural environment, making them one of the alternatives for the production of bioplastics in these situations. Seaweeds also have the advantages of being inexpensive, having little effect on the food chain, and not requiring any chemicals. It has been observed that seaweed-derived bioplastics are less brittle, more robust, and resistant to microwave radiation. Research is now underway to develop the technology needed to produce seaweed-based bioplastics, however it is anticipated that substantial progress in the bioplastics sector will enable the production of seaweed-based bioplastics in the future. As a practical substitute, fermentation and genetic engineering can lead the way in using cutting-edge methods to produce bioplastics from seaweeds. The significance, benefits, and uses of seaweeds as a substitute source of bioplastics are discussed in this paper.