Advancing marine cellulose-based packaging: A review on sustainable biorefinery perspectives

Abstract

The growing environmental effect of traditional plastic packaging has caused a growing search for sustainable alternatives, and cellulose has emerged as an attractive option due to its mechanical strength, biodegradability, and renewable nature. Marine-derived cellulose from algae, mangroves, and marine sediments remains poorly understood despite its unique structural and functional advantages, whereas a significant amount of research has been conducted on terrestrial cellulose sources including plants and agricultural waste. This review emphasizes marine cellulose's potential for biodegradable and functional food packaging applications through examining its biological origins, isolation techniques, and physicochemical characteristics. The increased moisture resistance, biodegradability, and flexibility of marine-derived cellulose are highlighted in compared to terrestrial cellulose, making it an excellent option for sustainable packaging. It remains a number of challenges to be resolved, such as low extraction efficiency, expensive processing, and inconsistent physicochemical characteristics. Unlocking the full potential of marine cellulose requires addressing these technical and financial obstacles through scalability studies, material functionalization, and green extraction techniques. This review provides a comprehensive evaluation of marine cellulose as an alternative packaging material and identifies key research gaps and future directions. By bridging the knowledge gap in marine cellulose research and its industrial applications, this study contributes to the ongoing efforts to reduce plastic pollution, promote a circular bioeconomy, and enhance environmental sustainability.