Scientists and artists have teamed up in labs to find ways to combat the global plastics problem, and one of their solutions relies on South Australia's advantageous amount of seaweed.
Flinders University academics have been working on biodegradable seaweed-based plastic polymers, which have the potential to become reused and renewable bio-plastic, but they need artists to translate their lab work into everyday applications.
For the Green Plastics Blue Ocean collaborative project, Professor Wei Zhang and Peng Su enlisted artist-in-residence Niki Sperou, who has already developed examples of fashionable seaweed leather, environmentally friendly wound dressings, and bio-compatible joint implants.
"We see the significant value to having artists working with scientists to translate the scientific language into cultural language," Professor Zhang said.
"Artists can support the community culture shift in terms of using reusable and biodegradable options of plastic."
Ms Sperou said she had developed a variety of prototypes where seaweed-plastic polymers could be used.
"As an artist I can help create models to show how an application can respond in the real world," she said.
"We've worked with different hydrogels: anti-viral gels that can be used for hand sanitizers and gels used for medical imaging.
"There's also bio-ink and new technologies coming up for printing parts in the body, and we can use the technology for replacing and regenerating bone."
South Australia's diverse seaweed
Professor Zhang said the project's location in South Australia had given academics an extra advantage in developing these new technologies.
"South Australia is the world's hotspot for seaweed diversity," Professor Zhang said.
"We have up to 15 per cent of the world's recorded diversity of red and brown seaweed species.
"Seaweed is probably one of the most prolific and underutilised renewable resources on the planet."
The project group collected beach cast seaweed from the state's south-east coastline.
"We have very clean waters and a huge biomass of algae," Ms Sperou said.
"The type that grows here has more alginates and materials that lend themselves more to flexible polymers, films and 3D applications rather than the ones growing for food in Asia."
Pursuit for clean oceans
The research team said their project came in a timely manner with Australia's 2025 National Packaging Targets not far away.
The targets set out a framework for 100 per cent of packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.
"With my research going for 20 years, I understand the significant damage to our marine ecosystem and, given that the ocean is 71 per cent of our earth, it's extremely important for us to maintain a sustainable ocean environment," Professor Zhang said.
"We must create a new industry for a better ocean for our next generation."
