Seaweeds offer enormous potential as a sustainable bio-based feedstock for the production of valuable chemicals and materials as an alternative to fossil fuel derived equivalents e.g. bioplastics, personal care products, and textiles. However, to maximise their potential and extract maximum value from each seaweed harvest, it is vital that all fractions of the biomass are used to improve processing sustainability and economics in line with a circular biorefinery approach. FlexSea have developed a novel flexible film product using hydrocolloids extracted from seaweeds which only uses 20-40% of the dry seaweed, with the remainder discarded. In this project, we will explore the feasibility of using the waste streams leftover from hydrocolloid extraction as a feedstock for microbial production of PHAs (bio-based plastic alternatives). By producing two single use plastic- alternatives (hydrocolloid films; PHAs) in a biorefinery approach, we aim to improve the overall sustainability (no waste) and economics (reduced raw material costs; additional revenue stream) of using seaweed as a sustainable bio-based feedstock.

iBiotech is a small to medium-sized enterprise based in Wolverhampton, West Midlands. Our project focuses on enhancing the yield, quality, and usability of microbial cellulose, an organic material that can be further processed into bio-leather. This sustainable alternative to traditional leather is free of synthetic plastics such as PVC and PU, making it suitable for use in the fashion industry. Our bio-leather is vegan, biodegradable, naturally coloured, and has no toxic or harmful environmental effects. Our goal is to encourage the Fast Fashion Industry to reduce pollution caused by disposable clothing and their production processes by adopting our eco-friendly bio-leather. Although the Fast Fashion Industry has done a lot recently to address pollution issues, the drive towards producing trendy and affordable clothing at a more rapid rate continues. The industry's production cycle and low prices do however come at a high cost to the environment and public health. For example, globally, the fashion industry produces 2.1 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year, which is more than the emissions of the aviation and shipping industries combined! Furthermore, the World Bank estimates that 20% of global industrial water pollution comes from the textile dyeing and treatment process, and UK consumers discard around 350,000 tonnes of clothing each year, most of which ends up in landfill or incineration. By using our bio-leather, which has been tested by members of the fashion industry and showcased to International Fashion Houses, the industry can significantly reduce its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, animal cruelty, landfill pollution (due to its biodegradability), and the depletion of natural resources. We plan to increase the production of our bio-material by employing a microbe developed through natural selective breeding. Innovative growth chambers will be designed and constructed to optimise microbial growth, using waste media. We will also reduce processing costs by developing a dehydration unit that is more cost-effective and reproducible. These innovations will enable iBiotech to synthesize more bio-leather, which can be used not only by the Fast Fashion Industry, but also through simple modifications, it can be converted into activated mulch-film; used to reduce fungal growth and crop infections, as well as improve moisture and soil biodiversity. References: Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (2017). A new textiles economy: Redesigning fashion's future. https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/publications/a-new-textiles-economy-redesigning-fashions-future World Bank. (2019). Pollution prevention and abatement handbook: Textiles industry. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/32637 WRAP. (2018). Valuing our clothes: The cost of UK fashion. [https://www.wrap.org.uk/sites/files/wrap/valuing-our-clothes-the-cost-of-uk-fashion\_WRAP.pdf][0] [0]: https://www.wrap.org.uk/sites/files/wrap/valuing-our-clothes-the-cost-of-uk-fashion_WRAP.pdf