Therese Elaine B. Enad, Airon D. Dulay, and Marco Nemesio E. Montaño
https://doi.org/10.57043/transnastphl.2026.6363
Abstract
The Philippines is widely recognized as among the top plastic polluters in the world. This can be attributed to the country’s dependence on single-use plastics, as evident by its massive consumption of approximately forty-eight million sachets daily. This massive problem instigated the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 (RA 9003) and has been further augmented by various laws since then. Despite these laws being in place, plastic pollution remains a challenge that calls for the development of bio-based plastics from sustainable sources. Therefore, this paper aims to examine the availability of potential marine resources, such as fish and shellfish by-products as a source of chitin, chitosan, collagen, and myofibrillar proteins, as well as various algae species as a source of agar, ulvan, alginates, carrageenan, and to explore the biopolymers extracted from these materials for their application in bioplastic production. Lastly, this paper examines the advantages and disadvantages of bioplastics over petroleum-based plastics. The high volume of marine resources in the Philippines means enormous potential in developing plastic alternatives in a country where plastic pollution is massively ubiquitous. However, challenges like inflated costs, limited infrastructure, and raw materials slow down large-scale adoption. To overcome these, investment in research, better processing technologies, and supportive policies are needed. With strong collaboration between the government, industry, and researchers, the Philippines can lead in sustainable bioplastic innovation while addressing environmental and economic concerns