It turns out that algae are an incredibly versatile material, useful not only as food and fuel, but in a variety of other industries as well. In the cosmetics industry, just as in the nutritional supplement industry, algae are useful because it contains powerful antioxidants that can be mixed into lotions, creams and other skincare products. In fact, the cosmetics industry is one of the most lucrative for algae producers because their product fetches a high price and requires a relatively small volume—especially when compared to high volume production operations that produce algae for food or biofuel.
Algae is also useful for making dyes and colorants. While most is green, some types of algae come in red and blue shades that are hard to find naturally, which means algae has become a major source for natural food and fabric dyes. This has proven especially popular among consumers who have allergies or other concerns with artificial colorings. Plastics are another up and coming outlet for algae—and that’s because researchers have discovered how to create one of the world’s first truly biodegradable plastics using algae. Most attempts at making biodegradable plastic have resulted in a product that either doesn’t biodegrade well, or biodegrades much too quickly to be useful. Algae-based plastics are striking a balance that allows for plastic packaging and parts that won’t degrade too quickly.
