A Strategic Roadmap for Marine Biopolymer & Bioplastics Development in Maine
“Plastics Reimagined” was a multi-institutional and interdisciplinary collaboration formed at the Maine Impact Forum held on September 9, 2024 at Northeastern’s Roux Institute in Portland, Maine. Participating team members represented the University of Maine: Cooperative Extension, Aquaculture Research Institute, Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, and Department of Communication and Journalism; The Roux Institute at Northeastern University: Department of Chemical Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, and College of Professional Studies; IDEXX Laboratories Inc.; The University of New England: School of Marine and Environmental Programs, and Maine College of Art & Design. The project ran from January through September 2025. Objectives of the project were to 1) inventory Maine’s biopolymer resources (experts, stakeholders, workforce, facilities, capacity, specific species, etc.), 2) engage with stakeholders (customer discovery) to identify R&D challenges and opportunities/market potential, and 3) produce a guiding document to share knowledge, generate interdisciplinary collaboration, and identify industry needs towards securing future funding. This report is the culmination of this work and was published September 2025. Acknowledgements This strategic roadmap represents the collective insights from many. The authors thank all who provided input to the future of Maine’s marine biopolymers and bioplastics sectors. In particular, this roadmap would not have been possible without support from Aileen Huang-Saad, Jesse Billingham, James Beaupré, Deborah Bouchard, Marsha Rolle, Bill Lenart, Dave Levine, Caitlin Howell, R. Alan Berry, Kelvin Rabbles, Carrie Byron, Megan Valanidas, Corinne Noufi, and Sarah Turner. Funding This project was supported by the 2024 Impact Forum, a collaboration between FocusMaine, Maine Department of Economic and Community Development, Maine Technology Institute, and Maine Life Sciences Network and Northeastern’s Roux Institute. Publication Credits Photography: Front Cover: Bioscience Association of Maine Media Asset Library Design & Production: Corinne Noufi, The University of Maine Aquaculture Research Institute
1 – Executive Summary 2 – Why This Roadmap & Why Now 3 – Vision & Strategic Goals 4 – Cross-Cutting Themes 5 – How to Use the Roadmap & Guiding Questions 6 – Definitions 7 – Introduction 11 – Methodology 12 – Stakeholder Engagement 13 – Stakeholder Input 17 – InputAnalysis & Project Limitations 18 – Where Are We Now 19 – Theme 1- Stakeholder Networking & Collaborations 22 – Theme 2- Workforce & Talent Pipeline 24 – Theme 3- Materials & Feedstocks 29 – Theme 4- Scientific & Technical Infrastructure 35 – Theme 5- Policy & Market Landscape 38 – Where We Are Going 39 – Theme 1- Stakeholder Networking & Collaborations 40 – Theme 2- Workforce & Talent Pipeline 42 – Theme 3- Materials & Feedstocks 44 – Theme 4- Scientific & Technical Infrastructure 46 – Theme 5- Policy & Market Landscape 49 – Risk Monitoring and Management Framework 50 – Call to Actions 52 – Conclusions: From Vision to Action 53 – Works Cited
Maine is well-positioned to become a national leader in sustainable materials with its rich biopolymer resources, globally recognized research institutions, and growing network of farmers, entrepreneurs, and manufacturers. This roadmap is a guide for expanding the bioplastics industry with specific focus on renewable marine biomass such as seaweed, microalgae, and crustacean resources. Renewable materials derived from marine resources complement and build on bioprocessing, manufacturing capabilities, and expertise established within Maine’s forest products industry.
91% Not recycled 3.64 million metric tons 9% Recycled 0.36 million metric tons Today, the world generates about 400 million metric tons of new plastic waste annually, yet only around 9 % of it is recycled Conventional plastics, while foundational to modern life in the United States, come at a steep ecological and health cost (Azoulay et al., 2019). Likewise, plastic waste impacts the health of Maine’s ecosystems and citizens (NRCM, 2025). State regulatory bans on single-use plastic bags and polystyrene foam food containers highlight Maine’s commitment to addressing this challenge. Together, Maine’s unique assets, biomass, existing infrastructure, technical talent, and stakeholder commitment, position the state to become a national leader in advancing alternative, renewable, biodegradable plastic materials from promise to practice. This strategic roadmap is grounded in more than 50 combined stakeholder focus groups, oneon-one interviews, survey responses, and site visits. The synthesized insights from academic researchers, engineers, seaweed farmers, business leaders, non-profit organizations, policymakers, and community advocates reflect shared aspirations and pragmatic next steps toward growing a collaborative, cross-sector, and scalable bio-based materials ecosystem. Together, they identified opportunities and challenges across five foundational themes: Stakeholder Networking & Collaboration Workforce & Talent Pipeline Materials & Feedstocks Scientific & Technical Infrastructure Policy & Market Landscape 2
Strategic Goals Vision To position Maine as a national innovation hub for renewable bio-based materials by advancing products made from locally sourced biomass. This effort will support sustainable manufacturing, coastal economic development, technology innovation, cross-sector collaboration, and healthy ecosystems. Strategic Goals Strengthen Networking & Collaboration: Develop formal networks, enable rapid knowledge transfer, shared infrastructure, and collaborative commercialization of bio-based materials. Support Workforce & Reduce Barriers to Entry/Retention: Train a next-generation of aquaculture farmers, seaweed producers, materials science and engineering workforce to advance use-inspired innovation supporting a circular bioeconomy. Address barriers to entry and retention (e.g. affordable housing) to strengthen the coastal labor force. Advance Material Innovation: Accelerate R&D on marine-safe, injection-moldable, and durable bioplastics with comparable performance to synthetic plastics using Maine’s seaweed, microalgae, shellfish, and forestry products. Build Shared Infrastructure: Develop mid-scale, shared-use processing and advanced manufacturing facilities to de-risk investment and enable scale-up. Align Testing, Policy & Market Development: Create reliable testing standards, coordinate regulatory pathways and funding, and develop a trusted “Maine Biopolymer” brand that builds confidence in performance of bioplastics, break down safely in Maine’s environment, and are integrated and traceable through the supply chain positioning Maine as a national leader in blue tech innovation. 3
Circular Economy Valorize full biomass streams, minimize waste, and reduce lifecycle emissions. Equity & Access Heritage to Innovation Ensure Indigenous & community input, workforce inclusion, and place-based innovation. Bridge Maine’s forest, fisheries, and farming legacies with next-generation materials development. 4
This roadmap is a strategic guide for advancing Maine’s biobased economy. It is designed for use by businesses, researchers, policymakers, economic development leaders, and community stakeholders. Use it to: 1. Coordinate action by aligning efforts across experts, disciplines, networks, sectors, and regions 2. Understand opportunities in renewable materials, bio- ased products, plastics b alternatives, and manufacturing innovation. 3. I entify priorities for investment, research, d and workforce development 4. T ack r progress by referring to recommended strategies 5. I form funding proposals and policy n decisions with data, context, and shared goals. Each section offers insights, context, and suggested actions to support informed decision-making and collective implementation. Circular Bioeconomy Guiding Questions Use the following questions to guide strategic planning, collaboration, and decision-making Vision & Alignment How does our work align with the roadmap’s vision for a circular, biobased economy in Maine? What shared goals can we advance with partners across sectors? Opportunities & Gaps What specific opportunities in biobased products or materials are most relevant to our community, business, or organization? Where are the critical infrastructure, funding, or knowledge gaps we can help address? Implementation & Action Which roadmap strategies can we successfully act on in the short term? What resources, partnerships, or policy changes are needed to move forward? Equity & Impact Who benefits from our efforts, and who is missing from the table? How can we ensure inclusive participation and equitable distribution of economic and environmental benefits? These questions are intended to spark dialogue, deepen collaboration, and ensure efforts are intentional, coordinated, and impactful. 5
Bio-based materials Materials derived from plants or other biomass. Bioplastics Plastics derived from plants or other biomass. Biodegradable Will degrade completely into substances found in nature. The definition of biodegradable does not include a specific timeframe or specific environmental conditions for breakdown. Compostable Is a subset of biodegradable plastic. Compostable plastic breaks down and becomes usable, non-toxic soil conditioner under controlled conditions, in a timeframe comparable to that of other compostable materials. Note: Both bio-based and biodegradable plastics should be considered within the context of the Circular Economy with neither solving the plastic waste crisis alone. Plastic pollution requires a multi-faceted approach to reduce plastic use, improve waste management, increase recycling and composting, and find sustainable alternatives. These bio-based materials can serve the purpose of replenishing a fraction of resources that cannot be re-circulated infinitely, thereby playing an important role in the success of the circular economy (WWF 2020). 6
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