Transformation of seafood waste into bioplastic

Abstract

Plastic pollution is a growing concern globally and have hugely impacted the environment despite the convenience that it has brought about. With this growing concern, industries are currently looking into the development of bioplastics made from sustainable resources to replace conventional fossil-fuel based plastics. With food wastes also being a huge concern to environment, many are looking to use food waste as a sustainable raw material. This is because food waste is known to contain high organic content and holds huge potentials as a good natural resource. The American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) is one of the most common aquatic frogs that are being consumed. Though many people consumed the bullfrog meat as an alternative source of protein, the inedible skin is being discarded. The skin is known to be highly enriched with collagen and are have yet been explored as a renewable source for bioplastic production. In this project, collagen extracted from the bullfrog skin will be developed and the quality of the bullfrog collagen bioplastic will be further optimised with different kinds of plasticizers. Based on the effects of the different plasticizers, we will determine the physicochemical properties of the bioplastic and target its development towards the use of food packagin