Innovative biomass transformation: Harnessing biological marine waste for high‐performance ecofriendly food packaging—Critical review

Abstract Growing environmental issues associated with conventional plastic packaging have spurred further research into sustainable biomass‐derived alternatives, particularly underutilized Marine wastes. Highlights show the potential of Marine waste for renewable, high‐performance eco‐friendly food packaging materials. This is the first critical review on the use of marine isolate as feedstock in the production of biodegradable plastics. The review includes a detailed analysis of characterization in terms of physicochemical properties related to a high lignocellulosic nature and its importance as raw materials utilized among various biomass conversion technologies such as thermochemical, biochemical, and hybrid approaches. This review emphasizes the relevance of environmental Marine waste, its transition to biodegradable plastics, composite materials, and edible films boosted by catalytic pyrolysis together with enzymatic hydrolysis or microbial fermentation, causing improvement in their mechanical properties (strength), thermal stability, and ability as a barrier. In a different sense, the review further discusses the employment of nanotechnology together with green chemistry to fine‐tune these conversion processes and functionalities in biopolymeric‐based packaging materials. It critically reviews challenges related to process efficiency, economic viability, and regulatory compliance along with recent technological advancements in the field of biorefinery, as well as future directions for Research and Development. Thus, the review highlights that in addition to Marine waste valorisation, a broader circular bioeconomy approach could significantly support the reduction of environmental impacts through bio‐based and sustainable packaging solutions.