Method of manufacturing bioproducts sustainably

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a second bioproduct comprises providing a first bioproduct containing a biopolymer; processing the first bioproduct to recover the biopolymer, wherein the extracting media is an aqueous solution comprising an acid; and manufacturing a second bioproduct using the recovered biopolymer. The first biopolymer and the recycled biopolymer may be same or different, biodegradable, compostable, safe for human consumption, and food contact safe. Also provided is an apparatus configured to perform the method of manufacturing a bioproduct sustainably. A kit comprising the apparatus, bioproducts and instructions on how to operate the apparatus using the bioproducts.

Description

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING BIOPRODUCTS SUSTAINABLYFIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention generally relates to manufacturing methods. More particularly, the invention is directed to environmentally sustainable methods of manufacturing bioproducts such as bioplastics, biocoatings, and biopapers.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Every minute, the equivalent of one garbage truck of plastic is dumped into our ocean. Plastic pollution is a global problem. Approximately 7 billion of the 9.2 billion tonnes of plastic produced from 1950-2017 became plastic waste, ending up in landfills or dumped in our ocean. Plastic pollution can alter habitats and natural processes, reducing ecosystems’ ability to adapt to climate change, directly affecting millions of people’s livelihoods, food production capabilities and social well-being. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)’s body of work demonstrates that the problem of plastic pollution does not exist in a vacuum. The environmental, social, economic and health risks of plastics need to be assessed alongside other environmental stressors, like climate change, ecosystem degradation and resource use. The Executive Director of UNEP, Inger Andersen, puts it bluntly: “We will not recycle our way out of the plastic pollution crisis: we need a systemic transformation to achieve the transition to a circular economy”. A UN resolution to end plastic pollution was adopted by the UN Environment Assembly on March 2, 2022 with a mandate of developing an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution. There is thus an urgent need to transform our relationship with plastic for the sake of future generations and the health of the planet.

[0003] On the other hand, paper accounts for around 26% of total waste at landfills. Paper production causes deforestation, uses enormous amounts of energy and water, and contributes to air pollution and waste problems. In today’s electronic age, people are starting to consider going paperless. Unfortunately, there is still a long way to go before we lose our dependence on paper.

[0004] From newspapers to paper wrappings, paper is everywhere and the majority of paper and related waste ends up in landfills. Paper was invented as a tool for communication, but today, the majority of paper is used for packaging, oftentimes excess packaging.

[0005] Paper takes twice the energy to produce compared to plastic bags while further requiringthe cutting down of trees. Deforestation is one of the main environmental problems with 42% of all global wood harvest being used for paper production.

[0006] Facts about Paper and Paper Waste:1. 2,700 liters of water is used to make 1 tonne of paper (average for the European industry);2. 1 sheet of paper requires 2 to 13 liters of water (depending on the mill);3. 93% of paper comes from trees;4. 50% of the waste produced by companies is composed of paper;5. Recycling 1 tonne of paper saves around 1400 liters of oil, 26,500 liters of water and 17 trees;6. Packaging makes up one third or more of our trash;7. U.S. offices use 12.1 trillion sheets of paper a year;8. Paper accounts for around 26% of landfill waste and 33% of municipal waste.

[0007] Although, the electronic revolution predicted a reduction in paper consumption, demand for paper is expected to double before 2030.

[0008] Pulp and paper production is the 3rd largest industrial polluter of air, water and soil. Chlorine-based bleaches are used during production, which results in toxic materials being released into our water, air and soil. Every tree produces enough oxygen for three people to breathe whereas rotting paper emits methane gas, a potent greenhouse gas.

[0009] There is thus an urgent need to reduce paper consumption, recycle existing paper, and replace conventional paper with more environmentally sustainable alternatives.

[0010] Paper-based alternatives to single-use plastic items such as take-out food containers are touted as biodegradable, however, to match the performance of plastic, high levels of “forever chemicals” were found, which can be toxic. These may end up contaminating compost and eventually find its way into our water systems.

[0011] There is therefore a need to methods of manufacturing that addresses at least some of the problems identified above, including methods of manufacturing bioproducts sustainably i.e. using the waste / discarded products to manufacture new products sustainably.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The shortcomings of the prior art are generally mitigated by the methods of manufacturinga bioproduct sustainably described herein.

[0013] According to an embodiment, the method of manufacturing a bioproduct sustainably comprises providing a first bioproduct containing a biopolymer, processing the first bioproduct to recover the biopolymer by contacting the first bioproduct with an extracting media and recovering the biopolymer, wherein the extracting media is an aqueous solution comprising an acid, and manufacturing a second bioproduct using the recovered biopolymer.

[0014] According to an embodiment, the acid is citric acid, ascorbic acid, acetic acid or phytic acid.

[0015] According to an embodiment, processing the first bioproduct comprises removing at least one protective layer before contacting the first bioproduct with the extracting media.

[0016] According to an embodiment, processing the first bioproduct comprises chopping the bioproduct into multiple pieces to increase surface area exposure before contacting the first bioproduct with the extracting media.

[0017] According to an embodiment, processing the first bioproduct comprises separating a constructed bioproduct from a plurality of bioproducts utilizing different biopolymer formulations before contacting the separated bioproducts with the extracting media.

[0018] According to an embodiment, recovering the biopolymer comprises heating the extracting media containing the first bioproduct to at least about 70°C to about 90°C for a period of time of about 15 minutes to about 3 hours.

[0019] According to an embodiment, recovering the biopolymer comprises incubating the extracting media containing the first bioproduct at room temperature for a period of time of about 1 hour to about 5 days.

[0020] According to an embodiment, recovering the biopolymer comprises incubating the extracting media containing the first bioproduct at room temperature for a period of time of at least 5 days.

[0021] According to an embodiment, the period of time is determined according to a degree of rigidity of the recovered biopolymer.

[0022] According to an embodiment, the degree of rigidity of the recovered biopolymer is determined qualitatively by a force applied onto the recovered biopolymer or quantitatively by determining a Young's modulus for the recovered biopolymer.

[0023] According to an embodiment, recovering the biopolymer comprises filtering the biopolymer.

[0024] According to an embodiment, recovering the biopolymer comprises heating the filtered biopolymer in water for a period of time of about 5 minutes to about 30 minutes to dilute the acid, and filtering the biopolymer.

[0025] According to an embodiment, recovering the biopolymer comprises incubating the filtered biopolymer in water for a period of time of about 15 minutes to about 1 day at room temperature to dilute the acid and filtering the biopolymer.

[0026] According to an embodiment, recovering the biopolymer comprises heating the filtered biopolymer in an alkaline aqueous solution at a temperature of at least about 70°C to about 90°C for a period of time of about 2 minutes to about 15 minutes to obtain a recovered biopolymer.

[0027] According to an embodiment, the alkaline aqueous solution comprises potassium carbonate (K2CO3), sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), and / or sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3).

[0028] According to an embodiment, recovering the biopolymer comprises rinsing the recovered biopolymer with water.

[0029] According to an embodiment, recovering the biopolymer comprises drying the recovered biopolymer for long-term storage.

[0030] According to an embodiment, the first bioproduct is a discarded product.

[0031] According to an embodiment, the discarded product is used or unused product.

[0032] According to an embodiment, the first bioproduct comprises a plurality of protective layers.

[0033] According to an embodiment, manufacturing the second bioproduct comprises contacting the recovered biopolymer with a crosslinking media to obtain the second bioproduct.

[0034] According to an embodiment, the crosslinking media is heated to up to 90°C.

[0035] According to an embodiment, the crosslinking media is a spray or dip solution that contacts the bioproduct after it is dried as a surface crosslinking enhancement treatment.

[0036] According to an embodiment, the crosslinking media comprises one or more crosslinker, at least one plasticizer.

[0037] According to an embodiment, the crosslinking media comprises one or more additive.

[0038] According to an embodiment, the one or more crosslinkers are mineral crosslinkers.

[0039] According to an embodiment, contacting the recovered biopolymer with a crosslinking media comprises solubilizing the recovered biopolymer in the presence of a plasticizer to obtain a plasticized biopolymer.

[0040] According to an embodiment, contacting the recovered biopolymer with a crosslinking media comprises crosslinking the plasticized biopolymer by incubating the plasticized biopolymer with one or more crosslinker to obtain a plasticized crosslinked biopolymer.

[0041] According to an embodiment, the method further comprises drying the plasticized crosslinked biopolymer to obtain the second bioproduct.

[0042] According to an embodiment, solubilizing the recovered biopolymer comprises incubating the crosslinking media to a temperature of up to 90°C.

[0043] According to an embodiment, contacting the recovered biopolymer with a crosslinking media comprises crosslinking the plasticized biopolymer by incubating the plasticized biopolymer with one or more crosslinker to obtain a plasticized crosslinked biopolymer.

[0044] According to an embodiment, contacting the recovered biopolymer with a crosslinking media comprises mixing one or more suitable additive with the plasticized biopolymer or the second bioproduct according to at least one desired property of the second bioproduct.

[0045] According to an embodiment, the method further comprises drying the plasticized crosslinked biopolymer to obtain the second bioproduct.

[0046] According to an embodiment, manufacturing the second bioproduct comprises forming a shape with the second bioproduct to obtain a shaped second bioproduct.

[0047] According to an embodiment, manufacturing the second bioproduct comprises drying the shaped second bioproduct to obtain a dried shaped second bioproduct.

[0048] According to an embodiment, manufacturing the second bioproduct comprises contacting the dried shaped second bioproduct with at least one biopolymer-containing media to form at least one biopolymer-containing protective layer.

[0049] According to an embodiment, the biopolymer is low acyl gellan gum, high acyl gellan gum, alginate, low methoxyl pectin, amidated low methoxyl pectin, konjac gum / glucomannan, or any combination thereof.

[0050] According to an embodiment, the plasticizer is Glycerol, Xylitol, Mannose , Dextrose, Sucrose, Citric Acid / Food Safe Citrates, Magnesium Stearate, Alpha Tocopherol, Cinnamaldehyde Oil & Blends, Ginger Oil & Blends, Thyme Crystals / Oil & Blends, Sunflower Oil, Honey, Sorbitol, Innositol, Trehalose, Sugars and Syrups, Food Safe Deep Eutectic Solvents, Calcium Stearate , Food Safe Essential Oils, any plasticizers listed in Table 1 , any variant thereof or combination thereof., or any variant and combination thereof.

[0051] According to an embodiment, the one or more suitable additive is a non-mineral crosslinker selected from the group consisting of an acid, polyphosphate, saponin, polyphenols, lectins, phenolic aldehydes, tannins, flavonoids, lignin, Phytic Acid, Tannins, Hesperidin, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Polyphosphates, Cinnamaldehyde, Alpha Tocopherol, Catechins, Naringin / Naringenin, Quercetin, Rutin, Guluronic Acid, Glucuronic Acid / G I u coronate, Galacturonic Acid, Caffeic acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Vanillin, Genipin, Curcumin, Luteolin, Apigenin, Genestein, Myricetin , Kaempferol, Lignin, Allantoin, Lactobionic Acid, Biochanin A, Silymarin, Ellagic Acid, Alpha Arbutin, Salicin, Food grade phosphates / polyphosphates, polyphenols, phenolic aldehydes, catechin, gallic acid, flavonoids, Oxalic Acid, Malic Acid, Lectins, Magnolia Bark, Boswellic Acid, Licorice Root Extracts, and any combination thereof.

[0052] According to an embodiment, the one or more suitable additive is an emulsifier selected from the group consisting of alpha tocopherol , agar agar, mucilage, lecithin, methylcellulose gum, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, curdlan, pullulan, any other emulsifier listed in Table 1 , any additional additives that can function as an emulsifier listed in Table 1 , any variant and combination thereof.

[0053] According to an embodiment, the one or more suitable additive is a lipid source selected from the group consisting of beeswax, rice wax, berry wax, carnauba wax, cinnamon bark essential oil / cinnamon extracts, alpha tocopherol (vitamin E and its oil blends), oregano essential oil, thyme essential oil, peppermint essential oil, lavender essential oil, ginger essential oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, vegetable oil, mango butter, avocado butter, coconut butter, magnesium stearate, calcium stearate, any variant and any combination thereof.

[0054] According to an embodiment, the one or more suitable additive comprises hydrophobic crystals such as menthol crystals and thymol crystals.

[0055] According to an embodiment, the one or more suitable additive comprises one or more food preservative such as thyme crystals, menthol crystals, cinnamon extracts (cinnamaldehyde), lavender extracts, ginger extracts , alpha tocopherol , ascorbic acid, zinc oxide, catechin, naringin, apigenin, Astaxanthin, Hydroxycitric Acid, Azelaic Acid, Lycopene, Proanthocyanidin, Pterostilbene, any variation and combination thereof.

[0056] According to an embodiment, the one or more suitable additive comprises acids, bases, proteins, gums, mucilage sources, cellulose, lignin, other biopolymers including keratin and chitosan, activated charcoal, clays, food colorants including powderized flowers), powderized seed / nut shells / rice hulls, powderized oyster and mussel shells with nacre, sugars / polysaccharides, resins, starches, lipid sources, other food additive stabilizers listed in Table 1 , and any variant and combination thereof.

[0057] According to an embodiment, the one or more mineral crosslinker is magnesium stearate, calcium stearate, calcium tartrate, magnesium citrate, magnesium glycinate, magnesium hydroxide, zinc oxide, calcium lactate, calcium citrate, calcium chloride, calcium carbonate, calcium hydroxide, tricalcium phosphate, nacre / pearl powder, mineralized clays, any other mineral crosslinker listed in Table 1 , or combinations thereof.

[0058] According to an embodiment, the one or more crosslinker is phytic acid (phytates), food grade polyphosphates, food grade hexametaphosphates, tannins, hesperidin, other crosslinkers in Table 1 , any variant therefore combination thereof.

[0059] According to an embodiment, at least one desired property is stability, texture, density, elasticity, durability, colour, scent, taste (sweet / sour), water resistance, oil resistance, low gas / water vapour permeability, acid tolerance, freeze (-4°C) / steam / boil / heat tolerance, flameretardants, resistance or any other desirable property of a bioproduct such as a bioplastic, biocoating, or a biopaper.

[0060] According to an embodiment, the first bioproduct and the second bioproduct are the same or different.

[0061] According to an embodiment, the first bioproduct and the second bioproduct are biodegradable.

[0062] According to an embodiment, the first bioproduct and the second bioproduct are compostable.

[0063] According to an embodiment, the first bioproduct and the second bioproduct are safe for human consumption.

[0064] According to an embodiment, the first bioproduct and the second bioproduct are safe for human consumption in small quantities or is food contact safe.

[0065] According to an embodiment, the first bioproduct and / or the second bioproduct is:• a paper alternative;• a cardboard alternative;• a plastic alternative (thermoplastic / thermoset / thermoformable) like pellets and acrylic alternative;• a water resistant, oil resistant, and / or flame retardant closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam (like Styrofoam™ ) or alternative for similar but more flexible material;• an absorbent pad alternative such as menstrual pad, diaper pad, adhesive bandage; meat and fish tray pad alternative;• a self-adhesive, rehydratable hydrocolloid bandage;• a vinyl-like alternative such as a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) alternative;• a vinyl foam alternative to EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate) like flip flop sandal soles;• a leather or suede alternative;• a staple fiber and filament fiber for textiles;• a water resistant, oil resistant, and / or flame retardant film;• an elastic film;• a sticky film / glue;• a water resistant, oil resistant, and / or flame retardant layer / spray coating for textiles;• a water resistant, oil resistant, and / or heat resistant layer / spray coating / dip coating / liningfor paper / cardboard / molded fiber products;• a water resistant, oil resistant, flame retardant, and / or heat resistant layer / spray coating / dip coating / lining for bioproducts described herein;• a flame retardant gel / layer / spray coating / dip coating; and / or• a composite bioproduct comprising any combination thereof.

[0066] A second aspect of the present invention is directed to a bioproduct manufactured by the methods as described herein.

[0067] A third aspect of the present invention is directed to an apparatus configured to perform the methods described herein.

[0068] A fourth aspect of the present invention is directed to a kit comprising the apparatus described herein, bioproducts of the present invention and instructions for using the apparatus.

[0069] Other and further aspects and advantages of the present invention will be better understood upon the reading of the illustrative embodiments about to be described or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0070] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0071] FIG. 1 is a flow chart depicting a method of manufacturing a bioproduct sustainably according to an embodiment;

[0072] FIG. 2 is a flow chart depicting the step of processing the first bioproduct to recover the biopolymer according to an embodiment;

[0073] FIG. 3 is a flow chart depicting the step of recovering the biopolymer according to an embodiment;

[0074] FIG. 4 is a flow chart depicting the step of manufacturing a bioproduct using the recovered biopolymer according to an embodiment;

[0075] FIG. 5 is a flow chart depicting the step of contacting the recovered biopolymer with a crosslinking media to obtain a bioproduct according to an embodiment;

[0076] FIG. 6A to 6D represent an example of a bioproduct comprising low acyl gellan gum, where FIG. 6A is after heating in citric acid, FIG. 6B being dipped in water, FIG. 6C being dipped in potassium carbonate, and FIG. 6D is after removal from potassium carbonate, according to an embodiment;

[0077] FIG. 7A to 7C is an example of the initial production of a first bioproduct using a dried biopolymer, where FIG. 7A shows dried biopolymer ready for solubilization in deionized water (diH2O) with glycerol plasticizer, FIG. 7B shows weighted ingredients for making the first bioproduct, and FIG. 7C shows vitamin E oil being added to the plasticized biopolymer or the crosslinked biopolymer, according to an embodiment;

[0078] FIG. 8A and 8B show an example of the last steps of manufacturing the bioproduct, where FIG. 8A shows the plasticized crosslinked biopolymer poured into a mold for drying and FIG. 8B shows the dried plasticized crosslinked biopolymer in the mold;

[0079] FIG. 9A and 9B represents an example of a dried shaped bioproduct, where FIG. 9A is transparent and FIG. 9B is dark yellow;

[0080] FIG. 10 shows a bioproduct being sprayed and soaked in a mineral crosslinking media according to an embodiment;

[0081] FIG. 11A to 11C show an embodiment, in which FIG. 11A shows a gellan gum based bioproduct treated in a heated and agitated ascorbic acid extraction media, FIG. 11 B shows a force applied to the gellan bioproduct demonstrating its ease of breaking under pressure and thus ready for the next step of the recovery process, and FIG. 11C shows the gellan bioproduct after it is filtered and rinsed with water to dilute the acid treatment according to an embodiment;

[0082] FIG. 12A and 12B show an embodiment, in which FIG. 12A shows the gellan gum based bioproduct as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 11 treated in a potassium carbonate alkaline treatment and FIG. 12B shows the gellan gum based bioproduct after being filtered from the alkaline treatment according to an embodiment;

[0083] FIG. 13A to 13D show an embodiment, in which FIG. 13A shows preparation of aStyrofoam™, alternative comprising of low acyl gellan gum and magnesium stearate that was poured and left to air dry before being placed into the lyophilizer, FIG. 13B shows preparation of a paper alternative consisting of low acyl gellan gum, glycerol, and magnesium citrate left to air dry before being placed into the lyophilizer, FIG. 13C shows a side view of the paper alternative after at least 24 hours of air dry time at room temperature, and FIG. 13D shows a top view of the paper alternative after at least 24 hours of air dry time at room temperature according to an embodiment;

[0084] FIG. 14 shows the Styrofoam™ alternative from FIG. 13, being dried in the lyophilizer according to an embodiment;

[0085] FIG. 15 shows the top view of the Styrofoam™ and paper alternative from FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 after being dried in the lyophilizer for at least 36 hours where the top bioproduct was the paper and bottom bioproduct was the Styrofoam™ alternative according to an embodiment;

[0086] FIG. 16A and 16B show the Styrofoam™ alternative from FIG. 15, after being sprayed with an external crosslinking Calcium Chloride (10 g / 100 mL) media, according to an embodiment;

[0087] FIG. 17 shows the paper alternative from FIG. 15, after being sprayed with an external crosslinking Calcium Chloride (10 g / 100 mL) media, according to an embodiment;

[0088] FIG. 18A to 18D show a cut quarter of the Styrofoam™ alternative from FIG. 16 after being carved with a sharp metal scraper, according to an embodiment;

[0089] FIG. 19 shows an example of a collection of low methoxyl, amidated low methoxyl, high acyl gellan, low acyl gellan, and konjac based bioproducts after the alkaline treatment where the items on the left were treated with potassium carbonate and items on the right were treated with sodium bicarbonate. The sponge-like material was treated in an acidic citric acid:glycerol deep eutectic solvent where the solvent was too viscous to penetrate and properly treat the spongelike material, hence its failure to dissolve in the alkaline treatment as compared to the other material samples;

[0090] FIG. 20 shows the citric acid:glycerol deep eutectic solvent that can be used both as a waterless extraction solvent and as a plasticizer for an embodiment while being mindful of the effects of its pH on the bioproduct;

[0091] FIG. 21A to 21 C show an embodiment, in which FIG. 21A shows an initial attempt at making a leather alternative with no colouring added yet, using low acyl gellan gum and varying amounts of internal magnesium citrate, FIG. 21 B shows a close-up of the leather alternative displaying the natural texture of the bioproduct, and FIG. 21 C shows a sample “cowhide” leather alternative using semi-delignified sawdust, wine tannins, magnesium citrate, glycerol, and low acyl gellan gum according to an embodiment;

[0092] FIG. 22 shows a heat pressed sample of low acyl gellan gum paper and a folded cardboard sample according to an embodiment;

[0093] FIG. 23 shows samples of vinyl alternatives where the top sample includes kaolin clay and the bottom includes calcium carbonate according to an embodiment;

[0094] FIG. 24 is an example of a Styrofoam™ alternative, consisting of low acyl gellan gum, magnesium stearate, and magnesium citrate, according to an embodiment;

[0095] FIG. 25A to 25D is an example of a gellan gum-based bioproduct with lignin being progressively removed, according to an embodiment;

[0096] FIG. 26A to 26C shows an embodiment, in which FIG. 26A shows a sample of a rehydratable hydrocolloid bandage consisting of high acyl gellan gum, glycerol, hesperidin, kaolin clay, and phytic acid, where the dry sample is on the left and the rehydrated sample is on the right, FIG. 26B shows variations of vinyl for bandage backings and rehydration bandages, FIG. 26C shows an alkaline version of the rehydration bandage that includes high acyl gellan gum, calcium carbonate, and curdlan gum, according to an embodiment;

[0097] FIG. 27 is an example of vinyl alternatives for agricultural use, like a weed mat without internal crosslinking, according to an embodiment;

[0098] FIG. 28 are examples of low methoxyl pectin and low acyl gellan gum sprays for paper and textiles while using wine tannin instead of phytic acid for visual purposes, according to an embodiment; and

[0099] FIG. 29A to 29C shows an embodiment, in which FIG. 29A shows same film consisting of low acyl gellan gum, glycerol, phytic acid, and magnesium citrate, cut into two pieces, where the top is not externally treated and the bottom piece was externally sprayed with Calcium Chloride (10 g / 100 mL) that was an excessive amount of external crosslinking which caused it to “crack”and “break”, FIG. 29B shows the top film from image in FIG. 29A, heat pressed and filled with water to show water resistance, and FIG. 29C shows the top film from image in FIG. 29A, heat pressed and filled with olive oil to show oil resistance, according to an embodiment.

[0100] FIG. 30A to 30C show an embodiment, in which FIG. 30A shows a deep eutectic solvent mixture comprising of potassium carbonate, glycerol, menthol crystals, thymol crystals used to extract lignin from cork. FIGs. 30B and 30C show the result of direct addition of the deep eutectic lignin solvent added to a mixture of acidic treated, water rinsed, recovered low acyl gellan gum that was not yet treated by an alkaline media as per the recycling / biopolymer recovery process. Extra low acyl gellan gum was added to make a thicker lignin patty. No other ingredients were added.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0101] A novel method of manufacturing a bioproduct sustainably will be described hereinafter. Although the invention is described in terms of specific illustrative embodiments, it is to be understood that the embodiments described herein are by way of example only and that the scope of the invention is not intended to be limited thereby.

[0102] The terminology used herein is in accordance with definitions set out below.

[0103] As used herein the term “biopolymer” refers to polymers produced from natural sources either chemically synthesized from a biological material or entirely biosynthesized by cells of living organisms. Biopolymers of the present invention may or may not be chemically modified ex vivo or in vitro.

[0104] As used herein, drying may be performed by any methods known in the art. For example, drying may comprise air drying, vacuum heat drying, drying under a heat source, oven baking, freeze- drying and / or any other drying methods known in the art.

[0105] As used herein the term “bioproduct” refers to any product manufactured by the methods of the present invention.

[0106] By "about", it is meant that the value can vary within a certain range depending on the margin of error of the method or device used to evaluate or measure. A margin of error of 10% is generally accepted.

[0107] As used herein the acronym “OIF” means a dilution of 1 :500 (One In Five hundred).

[0108] As used herein the acronym “TIF” means a dilution of 2:500 (Two In Five hundred), or 1 :250.

[0109] As used herein the expression “recovering the biopolymer” means recovering the biopolymer in its crosslinked form, partially crosslinked form or its fully crosslinked form. Thus, the recovered biopolymer may or may not be in the presence of mineral and / or non-mineral crosslinkers. The recovered biopolymer may also comprise other additives and / or impurities such as residual ingredients used in the manufacturing process.

[0110] As used herein, some non-mineral crosslinkers may be used as chelators and some chelators may be used as non-mineral crosslinkers. Crosslinking properties of chelators are well known in the art and is within the realm of the person of ordinary skill in the art of crosslinkers and chelators.

[0111] As used herein, boiling off a protective layer occurs with respect to proteins, oils, waxes, and other highly water-soluble molecules, for example, glycerol. When the protective layer and the bioproduct are of the same composition, the protective layer separates as a distinct layer that can be recovered. Some additives stay bound to the bioproduct through the recovery process. Boiling off is not indicative of 100°C temperature but applied heat where water soluble and highly insoluble materials are more readily released from the bioproduct.

[0112] Single use plastic waste stays in the environment for several years, as some plastics can take up to 1000 years to decompose in landfills. The bioplastics and other biomaterials produced by the methods of the present invention are backyard biodegradable and / or compostable as they are only made from food and agricultural waste items and mineral / food additives (magnesium stearate, tricalcium phosphate).

[0113] Heated plastic containers used by millions every day shed huge numbers of tiny specks called microplastics. Microplastics are toxic to humans and animals as recent studies are shedding some light on some of their potential health hazards. When parents prepare baby formula by shaking it up in hot water inside a plastic bottle, their infant may end up swallowing more than one million microplastic particles each day, as kettles and baby bottles shed microplastics. Advantageously, even if the bioplastics and other biomaterials produced by the methods of the present invention release microparticles, these non-toxic microparticles can be composted as they decompose within a reasonable period of time since they have beenconceived for short-term use and subsequent recycling. The bioplastics and biomaterials produced by the methods of the present invention are largely composed of biomolecules and as such are produced by living organisms.

[0114] Conventional plastics contain harmful plasticizers and other harmful additives such as PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances) and phthalates which remain in the environment for a very long time and have been appropriately termed the ‘Forever Chemicals’. This large chemical family of over 4,700 highly persistent chemicals have been shown to be toxic to both humans and wildlife.

[0115] Although many of the thousands of PFAS currently in use are lacking proper toxicological data, two of the most studied of these chemicals, PFOA and PFOS, have been shown to:• interfere with the hormonal system (so they are called endocrine disruptors);• interfere with the reproductive system and the development of the fetus;• impact the immune system and have been linked to reduced responses to vaccines in children; and• promote the development of certain cancers (e.g., kidney and testicular cancer).

[0116] Some conventional plastics such as PVC vinyl may release harmful chlorine-based chemicals during its manufacturing, use, and disposal. A recent train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio on February 3, 2023, released toxic chemicals into the local environment, including vinyl chloride, a known carcinogen, with residents concerned for their health and safety. Vinyl chloride is one of many harmful chemicals used to make PVC that subsequently end up in fabrics and packaging.

[0117] In contrast, all of the ingredients used in the methods described herein may be accounted for and are known to be non-toxic and even safe for human consumption. The ingredients used in the methods of the present invention are made from food grade material, food waste and / or items recognized as GRAS.

[0118] Single-use products consist of different materials, the majority of which being difficult to recycle and as a result end up in landfills. For example, typical shipped items come in a cardboard box with Styrofoam™ peanuts, moulds and / or plastic air bag fillers, plastic vinyl sticker labels, and plastic tape wrap. Moreover, single-use plastic products are often made from polymers that are difficult to separate such as HDPE (high-density polyethylene) and PET (polyethylene terephthalate) since they are difficult to distinguish. Moreover, products contaminated with food such as take-out containers are difficult to recycle while the majority ends up in landfills due tothe poor quality of the recycled material. In contrast, the bioproducts produced by the methods of the present invention using biopolymers produced by living organisms or using biopolymers are obtained by recycling the available bioproducts can all be discarded together for recycling and subsequently separated to obtain pure biopolymers and other ingredients. As a non-limiting example, the biopolymer gellan gum can be freeze-dried to make the cardboard, Styrofoam™ filler alternative, and label. A coating comprising a combination of the biopolymers pectin and alginate can be applied onto paper to provide water-resistance. The tape wrap can also be made from a combination of pectin and alginate which can form a film. Accordingly, if the discarded bioproducts produced by the methods of the present invention are contaminated, a protective layer can be removed during the recycling process by heating the bioproduct in an aqueous solution (i.e., the protective layer may be boiled off).

[0119] Advantageously, biopolymer recovery / recycling of the present invention cleans, sterilizes and / or sanitizes the discarded bioproducts at the beginning of the recycling process. Potentially harmful pathogens such as bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses will have difficulty surviving the initial boiling water, boiling acidic solution, the several water rinses, and / or the alkaline boiling environment. With the use of water or water-based solvents, water may be advantageously recaptured for re-use, thus reducing consumption.

[0120] Conventional plastics require a lot of energy and water to produce since they are a petroleum-based product. Indeed, production of conventional plastics require the extraction of oil, processing into nurdles, shipping nurdles to plastic packaging manufacturers, manufacturing the plastic, shipping to retailers to fill the containers, shipping product to retail locations, collecting the plastic, cleaning the plastic, pyrolysis of the plastic / high heat to melt again, etc. Furthermore, most manufactured products are far from their final destination and requires more energy for transportation. The bioproducts produced by the methods of the present invention use food and agricultural waste as raw material which require significantly less energy. Although the extraction of alginate from its problematic overgrowth and the extraction of gellan gum from cultured bacteria require energy input, the energy savings are considerable compared to production of conventional plastics, not to mention the reduction in long- lasting plastic waste. Advantageously, pectin can easily be extracted from citrus fruit / apple peels whereas phytic acid can be isolated from rice and wheat husks. The recycling process of the present invention uses water as the solvent which can be distilled and recycled for reuse. The acid and alkaline solutions can also be reused by filtering out any debris and evaporating the water. Routine recalibrating with water can adjust the solutions to the right concentration for preparing additional bioproducts.

[0121] Production of conventional plastics further entails the use of toxic chemicals such ashydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide. In contrast, the methods of the present invention replace toxic acids with food grade citric acid whereas sodium hydroxide is replaced with potassium carbonate.

[0122] Moreover, the ingredients used in the methods of the present invention are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) as they can easily be purchased online or from commercial food suppliers for home and commercial cooking / usage. The methods of the present invention may be performed at home. The methods of the present invention may also be performed on- demand as the manufacturing and recycling can be performed locally and on-demand. A manufacturing / recycling machine may be installed at a restaurant or in the home that can recycle the bioproduct and manufacture new items from the recycled material. For example, some coffee shops and bubble tea shops make their own cups and straws. Thus, customers could drop off their used cups in a bin which could then be washed and recycled by the machine. The machine would then be able to manufacture new cups and recycle. The process could be repeated, possibly for many cycles before the quality of the bioproduct start deteriorating and fresh biopolymers need to be added to the cycle. The machine could even be configured to remove a contaminated protective layer which contacts the food or beverage product to avoid the washing step. Alternatively, a client may take the cup home and recycle the cup with their own machine which could then manufacture an item that the customer desires.

[0123] Advantageously, the costs associated with sourcing the initial raw material decrease with each recycling cycle.

[0124] Advantageously, the ability to locally recover bioproducts and manufacture bioproducts with GRAS ingredients promotes an innovative commercial biopolymer ecosystem of bioproducts and local commercial or in-home manufacturing / recycling appliances to replace current singleuse plastic products and related issues with plastic recycling and plastic composition. If displaced in disadvantaged communities plagued by plastic waste, these methods of manufacturing bioproducts may present easy to manufacture plastic alternatives that could spark local businesses.

[0125] The method may use a designed system of “mix and match” biopolymers, crosslinkers, plasticizers, and additives to create crafted bioproducts with specific properties / functions, provide alternative formulations based on local material supply availability and costs, and mindful of water consumption during manufacturing.

[0126] The description which follows, and the embodiments described therein are provided byway of illustration of examples of particular embodiments of principles and aspects of the present invention. These examples are provided for the purposes of explanation and not of limitation, of those principles of the invention. In the description that follows, like parts and / or steps are marked throughout the specification and the drawing with the same respective reference numerals.

[0127] A method of manufacturing a bioproduct sustainably will now be described. In reference to FIG. 1-30, the method 1000 comprises providing a first bioproduct containing a biopolymer 1100. The first bioproduct may be a bioproduct produced according to the method of the present invention or any food or agricultural waste items containing a biopolymer. The method further entails processing the first bioproduct to recover the biopolymer 1200 and manufacturing a second bioproduct using the recovered biopolymer 1300. The first bioproduct may be a discarded product and may be a used bioproduct. The biopolymer may be low acyl gellan gum, high acyl gellan gum, sodium alginate, low methoxyl pectin, amidated low methoxyl pectin, konjac gum / glucomannan, any combination thereof or any other suitable biopolymer that can be crosslinked, known in the art.

[0128] According to an embodiment, the first bioproduct may comprise a plurality of protective layers.

[0129] According to an embodiment, the first bioproduct and / or the second bioproduct may be:• a paper alternative;• a cardboard alternative;• a plastic alternative (thermoplastic / thermoset / thermoformable) like pellets and acrylic alternative;• a water resistant, oil resistant, and / or flame retardant closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam (like Styrofoam™ ) or alternative for similar but more flexible material;• an absorbent pad alternative such as menstrual pad, diaper pad, adhesive bandage; meat and fish tray pad alternative;• a self-adhesive, rehydratable hydrocolloid bandage;• a vinyl-like alternative such as a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) alternative;• a vinyl foam alternative to EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate) like flip flop sandal soles;• a leather or suede alternative;• a staple fiber and filament fiber for textiles;• a water resistant, oil resistant, and / or flame retardant film;• an elastic film;• a sticky film / glue;• a water resistant, oil resistant, and / or flame retardant layer / spray coating for textiles;• a water resistant, oil resistant, and / or heat resistant layer / spray coating / dip coating / lining for paper / cardboard / molded fiber products;• a water resistant, oil resistant, flame retardant, and / or heat resistant layer / spray coating / dip coating / lining for bioproducts described herein;• a flame retardant gel / layer / spray coating / dip coating; and / or• a composite bioproduct comprising any combination thereof.

[0130] According to an embodiment, processing the first bioproduct to recover the biopolymer 1200 comprises contacting the first bioproduct with an extracting media 1220 and recovering the biopolymer 1250. Processing the first bioproduct may or may not include removing at least one biopolymer-containing protective layer 1210 before contacting the first bioproduct with the extracting media for a period of time 1252. Recovering the biopolymer may include heating the extracting media containing the first bioproduct to a temperature of between about 70°C to about 90°C for about 15 minutes to about 3 hours and then filtering the biopolymer from the extraction media 1254. Alternatively, recovering the biopolymer comprises incubating the extracting media containing the first bioproduct at room temperature for about 1 hour to about 5 days and then filtering the biopolymer. Alternatively, incubating the extracting media may be performed for at least 5 days according to a degree of rigidity of the recovered biopolymer. The degree of rigidity of the recovered biopolymer may be determined qualitatively by a force applied onto the recovered biopolymer or quantitatively by determining a Young's modulus for the recovered biopolymer.

[0131] Recovering the biopolymer may further include heating the filtered biopolymer in water for a period of time of about 5 minutes to about 30 minutes to dilute the acid, “release” materials from the biopolymer such as hydrophobic materials, wash / fade out colourants and filtering the biopolymer. Alternatively, the filtered biopolymer may be incubated in water for a period of time of about 15 minutes to about 1 day at room temperature to dilute the acid and then filtering the biopolymer again.

[0132] The extracting media may be an aqueous solution comprising an acid such as citric acid, ascorbic acid, acetic acid, or phytic acid. Any other suitable acid may be used while remaining within the scope of the invention. Acidic deep eutectic solvents can also be used. As they are too viscous, they may not work when working with foam or thick bioproducts. The aqueous solution preferably comprises deionized water (diHkO) although distilled water (dHhO), double distilled water (ddH2O) or filtered regular tap water may be used as long as the majority of ions and other impurities are removed beforehand. Even well water or other potentially hard watersource can still be used as a starting material as long as the majority of the ions are removed before starting the process. Thus, parts of the world wherein well water is the only accessible water source will still be able to perform the method of the present invention as long as they have access to the remaining material, whether that material is new or sourced through discarded products. A filtering process for removing ions present in the water may thus be added as a first step.

[0133] According to an embodiment, recovering the biopolymer entails heating and / or incubating at room temperature the filtered biopolymer in an alkaline aqueous solution comprising of potassium carbonate (K2CO3) at a temperature of at least about 70°C up to about 90°C for a period of time of about 2 minutes to about 15 minutes to obtain the recovered biopolymer. Alternatively, sodium carbonate and / or sodium bicarbonate may be used in replacement of potassium carbonate. The period of time is determined according to the solubility, alkaline solution concentration, exposed surface area, and density of the biopolymer in the alkaline aqueous solution such that the biopolymer is partially dissolved. The alkaline aqueous solution may comprise potassium carbonate (K2CO3) and / or sodium carbonate (Na2CO3). Rinsing the recovered polymer with water should then be performed before drying the recovered polymer for long term storage. If the recovered biopolymer is used within a short period of time such as a few days up to a few weeks, the solubilized biopolymer may be stored at 4°C or even room temperature for a few hours before manufacturing a second bioproduct. The pH may need to be adjusted before making the second bioproduct.

[0134] Manufacturing the second bioproduct using the recovered biopolymer 1300 will now be described.

[0135] According to an embodiment, manufacturing the second bioproduct comprises contacting the recovered biopolymer with a crosslinking media to obtain the second bioproduct 1310. The crosslinking media should include one or more crosslinker such as magnesium stearate, calcium stearate, calcium tartrate, magnesium citrate, magnesium glycinate, magnesium hydroxide, zinc oxide, calcium citrate, calcium chloride, calcium lactate, calcium carbonate, calcium hydroxide, tricalcium phosphate, nacre / pearl powder, mineralized clays, any other mineral crosslinkers listed in Table 1 , or combinations thereof.

[0136] According to an embodiment, contacting the recovered biopolymer with a crosslinking media comprises solubilizing the recovered biopolymer in the presence of a plasticizer to obtain a plasticized biopolymer 1312 and crosslinking the plasticized biopolymer by incubating the plasticized biopolymer with one or more crosslinker to obtain the second bioproduct 1314. Theplasticizer may be glycerol, dextrose, sucrose, fructose, xylitol, sorbitol, allulose, citric acid / citrates, magnesium stearate, oils (alpha tocopherol (vitamin E), cinnamaldehyde, thyme and sunflower), honey, plasticizers listed in Table 1 , any variant and combination thereof, or any other suitable plasticizer known in the art which will not compromise the recyclability and / or the sustainability of the bioproduct.

[0137] According to an embodiment, the crosslinking media comprises one or more crosslinker, optionally one or more additive that can also function as a plasticizer although in a different classification, and one or more additives.

[0138] According to an embodiment, contacting the recovered biopolymer with a crosslinking media may further comprise mixing one or more suitable additive with the plasticized biopolymer or the second bioproduct according to at least one desired property of the second bioproduct 1316. Examples of desired properties of the second bioproduct include stability, texture, density, elasticity, water resistance, oil resistance, durability, colour, scent, taste (sweet / sour), acid tolerance, freeze (-4°C) / steam / boil / heat tolerance, flame retardant, resistance or any other desirable property of a bioproduct such as a bioplastic, biocoating, or a biopaper.

[0139] According to an embodiment, the one or more desirable suitable additive comprises acids, bases, proteins, gums, mucilage sources, cellulose, lignin, other biopolymers (keratin, chitosan), activated charcoal, clays (kaolin, bentonite), food colorants (powderized flowers), powderized seed / nut shells / rice hulls, powderized oyster / mussel shells with nacre, sugars / polysaccharides, resins, starches, lipid sources, other food additive stabilizers listed in Table 1 , and any variant and combination thereof.

[0140] The one or more suitable additive include a non-mineral crosslinker, an emulsifier, an “additional” suitable additive, and / or a lipid source as listed in Table 1. The non-mineral crosslinker may be an acid, polyphosphate, saponin, polyphenol, phenolic aldehydes or any combination thereof. The emulsifier may be alpha tocopherol (vitamin E), agar agar, mucilage, methylcellulose gum, xanthan gum, arabic gum, locust bean gum or any combination thereof. The lipid source may be beeswax, rice wax, berry wax, carnauba wax, cinnamon bark essential oil, oregano essential oil, thyme essential oil, coconut oil, sesame seed oil, sunflower oil, vegetable oil, mango butter, avocado butter, coconut butter or any combination thereof. Other additives that may be used in the production of the bioproduct include hydrophobic crystals such as menthol crystals, one or more food preservative such as catechin, ascorbic acid, vitamin E, cinnamaldehyde, and / or thyme crystals.

[0141] According to an embodiment, manufacturing the second bioproduct comprises forming a shape with the second bioproduct 1320 to obtain a shaped second bioproduct which may or may not be dried to obtain a dried shaped second bioproduct 1340.

[0142] According to an embodiment, manufacturing the second bioproduct may further comprise contacting the dried shaped second bioproduct with at least one biopolymer-containing media to form at least one biopolymer-containing protective layer 1342.

[0143] The ingredients contemplated by the inventor are summarized in Table 1 below, although variants thereof and other ingredients may also be used while remaining within the scope of the present invention. Although classified by commonly used function in the described bioproducts herein, many of the ingredients were selected due to their multi-functional abilities and GRAS status. In other words, these ingredients serve more than one function to reduce the amount of ingredients necessary to make a bioproduct and make the recovery and manufacturing of a second bioproduct simpler. For ease of reading, they are generally classified under one category unless they are also commonly used in a different classification.Table 1 : Summary of ingredients that may be included in the manufacturing of sustainable bioproducts

[0144] Although classified in different categories, a person skilled in the art may note that the additives may serve more than one function in a composition. Additives are listed under categories they are commonly used as but may be used in more than one category.

[0145] Another aspect of the present invention is directed to an apparatus configured to perform the methods described herein. The apparatus can:• recover the biopolymer using the previously claimed recovery process,• has methods to collect water for re-use from the drying phases, manufacturing phases, and the biopolymer recovery process described herein,• uses a method of detection, whether a spectrometer with Al / machine learning software to determine the composition of the material and / or barcode scanning with software to determine the material to be recovered for re-use• has a method to measure the amount of biopolymer and additives to add when making bioproduct,• uses design or recipe files as customized product formulations with coded manufacturing instructions where these files much like 3D printing files can be shared digitally,• the machine has multiple methods / capabilities of product manufacturing either included as one big unit or as independent add on modular units (i.e. freeze drying unit, thin film forming unit, spraying unit, etc.)• apparatus has containers to store replenishable biopolymers and other crosslinking material additives supply,• has a user interface where a user can select a bioproduct to make from recovered biopolymer materials or new biopolymer materials.

[0146] For example, a user selects a thin film bag from the apparatus screen. They put in several foam bioproducts into the machine to use in making the new thin film bag. The machine determines the composition of the foam products and compares this to the thin film bag design / recipe file to determine what needs to be removed or added to the second bioproduct and method of manufacturing. If the foam bioproducts can be used to make the new thin film bag, then it is used. If not, it is recovered and stored for future use while indicating the lack of adequate and / or appropriate biopolymer for the desired thin film bag.

[0147] The machine runs through the recovery process. With the recovered biopolymer, it adds more biopolymer or additives according the recipe and selects the appropriate method of manufacture. If there's not enough supply of biopolymer recovered, the apparatus will indicate to the user that more supply must be purchased and to replenish its supply containers. If there's enough supplied material, the machine manufacturers and outputs the desired thin film bioproduct.

[0148] Another aspect of the present invention is directed to a kit comprising the apparatus described above, bioproducts and instructions on how to operate the apparatus using the bioproducts.

[0149] The examples that follow are provided by way of illustration only and the invention is not meant to be limited thereby. These examples highlight particular embodiments of principles and aspects of the present invention. These examples are provided for the purposes of explanation and not of limitation, of those principles of the invention.Examples

[0150] The majority of the materials used in the following examples may be regarded as food grade and purchased from online retail such as Amazon and / or other suppliers for use in home and commercial usage. Therefore, the purity or grade of the biopolymers is not often known. The biopolymers may be obtained as standardized with calcium citrate and sugars (sucrose and / or dextrose).

[0151] For all examples that use the term “dilute phytic acid”, it refers to the dilution of an “original” phytic acid solution (.ca 50% in water, .ca 1.1 mol / L) whereby it is diluted to a concentration of 1 mL of original phytic acid: 499 mL of deionized water for a total of 500 ml_. This is also referred as OIF (one in five hundred - 1 :500). Since alginate and pectin can handle more acid, a TIF (two in five hundred - 2:500 or 1 :250) or 2 mL of original phytic acid: 498 mL diH2O water was also used.

[0152] Based on the food grade biopolymers available, low acyl gellan gum can handle a max of 30-40 mL OIF / 50mL solution and alginate can handle up to 30 mL TIF / 50 mL solution, and low methoxyl / amidated low methoxyl pectin can handle 40 mL TIF / 50mL solution. Note that mixing the different biopolymers affects the concentration of phytic acid allowable in the formulation.

[0153] As the amount of mineral crosslinking is dependent on the quality of the biopolymers (i.e., % esterification, % deacylation, and molecular weights), the amount of mineral crosslinkers to add as a component of the bioproduct or used as an enhanced surface treatment may vary. If too much mineral crosslinking is applied, the bioproduct will become brittle and will crack. Therefore, the amount of mineral crosslinking applied, either internally or externally, should be reduced to accommodate the variance in biopolymer sources, the bioproduct composition, and environmental factors such as humidity.

[0154] Internal mineral crosslinking refers to the addition of a mineral crosslinker in the production of the bioproduct whereby it is added as a dry ingredient or “incubated” in the crosslinking media and thus becomes a component of the bioproduct. External mineral crosslinking refers to an enhanced water and / oil resistance surface treatment for a driedbioproduct or bioproduct layer whereby the mineral crosslinker is sprayed, rolled on, surface wiped, or used as a dipping solution to treat the exterior of the bioproduct. Layers must be dried and treated with external crosslinking before adding another layer if they are to more readily be separated by the boiling process since there is less adhesion between the layers. Some materials when wet, may actually meld completely as it dries with other materials. For example, while drying, an accidental droplet of low methoxyl pectin contaminated the surface of a drying low acyl gellan gum sample. Both the gellan and pectin were wet and thus blended as they dried.

[0155] The process of recovering the biopolymer may also interchangeably be described as “recycling” the bioproduct in the descriptions below.Rule of Thumb and Recommendations

[0156] As a general rule of thumb but is not limited to suitable dry additive combinations (including mineral crosslinkers) exclude any liquid ingredients such as glycerol, phytic acid, and oils.

[0157] In some embodiments, the max amount of dry additives should not exceed the weight of the biopolymer content for low acyl gellan gum, alginate, low methoxyl pectin, or amidated low methoxyl pectin and any combinations thereof.

[0158] In some embodiments, the max amount of dry additives should not exceed double the weight of the biopolymer content for high acyl gellan gum and konjac gum / glucomannan.

[0159] Example: Ratio of biopolymer to all DRY additives is: a) If using low acyl gellan gum, alginate, or low methoxyl pectin, amidated low methoxyl pectin:-> 1 g biopolymer: max 1 g total of all other additive categories that are DRY (includes minerals, non-minerals, crystals, additives, etc.) and EXCLUDES liquid additives (glycerol, oils, phytic acid) as weighed materials are more concentrated. b) If using high acyl gellan gum or konjac gum, the ratio is:-> 0.5 g biopolymer: max 1 g total of all other additive categories that are dry.

[0160] In other words, as long as the ingredient is in dry form and can be weighed, then it does not matter how it is mixed and matched, the final weight should not be more than the weight of the biopolymer content when using low acyl gellan gum, alginate, low methoxyl pectin, amidated low methoxyl pectin, and any combination thereof and double the weight of the biopolymer content when using high acyl gellan gum, konjac gum glucomannan, and any combinationthereof. Otherwise, there is a risk of the bioproduct not polymerizing, forming, or recycle properly. Of course, a higher ratio of biopolymer content to dry additives is possible. The amount of solution it dissolves in does not matter so long as the bioproduct mixture is all mixed and polymerized properly. The reason is that the bioproduct is often dried and where the water can be harvested for re-use. However, keeping it to 50 mL allows for easy comparison and prevents mold growth due to long dry times. Please note that 1 mL glycerol is added to the 50 mL solution and likewise oil drops such that the final volume is approximately 51 mL.

[0161] The suggested starting ratio when creating bioproducts using low acyl gellan gum, alginate, low methoxyl pectin, and amidated low methoxyl pectin is actually 1 g biopolymer, 0- 0.05 g mineral crosslinker, use phytic acid / wine tannins / hesperidin as non-mineral crosslinkers, and less than 0.2 g combined dry additives in other categories with a max ingredient list of 5. A good starting amount of phytic acid for low acyl gellan gum is around 10-20 mL OIF diluted / 50 mL solution. Alginate and pectin actually work better with a higher concentration of 30 mL TIF diluted / 50 mL solution. By weight, it is best if the biopolymer was at least 67% of the bioproduct.Where OIF is 1 mL in 500 mL dilution of the 50 / 50 phytic acid; andTIF is 2mL in 500 mL dilution of the 50 / 50 phytic acid

[0162] The max number of ingredients often used in our samples was 7. The minimum was 3 (i.e., low acyl gellan gum, phytic acid, and calcium chloride sprayed on the dried bioproduct surface).

[0163] For high water and / or oil resistant bioproducts, the idea is to increase the amount, strength, and types of crosslinking. Stronger and more crosslinks equates to more resistance but then higher / stronger extraction media concentration is required. The strongest bioproducts often include non-mineral crosslinkers that are strong chelating ingredients with numerous binding sites. These chelators tightly bind multivalent ions such as calcium and magnesium. Too much chelating ingredients and the bioproducts become brittle and easy to crack. Many of these chelators are generally acidic and thus an increase in their concentration lowers the pH which in turn affects the biopolymers’ ability to polymerize

[0164] As a general rule of thumb but is not limited to, when selecting which biopolymers to use, low acyl / high acyl gellan gum is often the choice when hydrophobic additives are used, then alginate, and then low methoxyl / amidated low methoxyl pectin. Low acyl / high acyl gum, being an emulsifier itself, is more compatible with hydrophobic additives. In other words, a higher amount of oils can be incorporated into a low acyl gellan gum formulation than a pectin formulation.

[0165] When freeze-drying, alginate and low acyl gellan gum must not be placed into the freezer before freeze-drying as “cracks and large crevasses” may appear in the dried bioproduct. They need to be air, oven, or vacuum dried slowly for better entanglement where they lose most of their water weight before being freeze-dried. However, low methoxyl / amidated low methoxyl pectin, being so “watery” must be frozen before being freeze-dried to prevent an “explosive mess” in the freeze dryer. A uniform bioproduct will still form.

[0166] The drying height of the bioproduct matters, especially when using low acyl or high acyl gellan gum. Gellan in particular, the greater the drying height, the thicker the material, and the stronger the material in terms of tensile strength and puncture resistance. This does not apply when it is freeze- dried to make Styrofoam™ alternatives.

[0167] When making clear film bioproducts, using magnesium citrate instead of calcium citrate produces a clearer result. Using magnesium or calcium citrate as a mineral crosslinker is preferred since it potentially contributes to a circular model. Citric acid can be used to remove the mineral crosslinking in the biopolymer recovery process and then potentially be re-used as an additive in the bioproduct creation process thus reducing waste. Re-calibration would be necessary.

[0168] Generally, internally added minerals should be under 0.05 g total to 1 g of biopolymer and this includes the “standardization” by the supplier but not limited to as in some cases, it can go up to 0.5 g to 0.8 g of mineral crosslinker.

[0169] When making bioproduct, it is best to allow the biopolymer to polymerize with the nonmineral crosslinker and plasticizer first. Then add the other additives followed by the mineral crosslinker, and finally any hydrophobic elements (crystals / oils). Ingredients are generally added in that order. The bioproduct is allowed to dry before an external crosslinking application or layer is applied. For example, low acyl gellan gum is first polymerized in a glycerol / water / phytic acid solution before magnesium citrate is added. Hydrophobic thyme crystals are added last and then the sample is poured and allowed to dry completely. An external surface spray with a mineral crosslinker such as calcium chloride is applied. It is also possible to mix all the dry ingredients together and likewise, liquid ingredients together first before mixing altogether on heat. It still works but the order above yields faster uniform polymerization results when working with a large number of ingredients.

[0170] When making high water and oil resistant films, it is better to allow the biopolymer to polymerize with the non-mineral crosslinker like phytic acid / water solvent first. Then glycerol andthe mineral crosslinkers are added. However, the amount of biopolymer is split such that a partial amount can be added later. For example, 1 g of low acyl gellan gum is first mixed with a 50 mL solution (30 mL phytic acid and 20 mL) on a heated magnetic stirring plate. Next, 1 mL of glycerol is added to the solvent. Then 0.1 g of low acyl gellan gum is dry mixed with 0.2 g of magnesium citrate before adding to the heated stirred mixture to prevent localized mineral crosslinking. Higher heat and more water is added, if necessary, to help proper dissolution and polymerization. The remaining 0.4 g of low acyl gellan gum is added at the end for a total of 1 .5 g of biopolymer. The bioproduct is allowed to dry. If it becomes brittle and cracks, too much mineral crosslinker was added. The amount should be reduced in the next batch. If not, then an external mineral crosslinking spray can also be applied. For example, a weaker concentration of calcium chloride (2 g in 100 mL deionized water) can be used. The bioproduct is allowed to dry and if does not become too brittle and crack, a higher concentration of mineral crosslinker can be used for the next batch.

[0171] For flame retardant properties, additives such as phytic acid, clay, magnesium citrate, and tricalcium phosphate are listed as non-flammable in their MSDS and as such, when included in high concentrations as the main ingredients in the bioproduct, may increase flame retardancy of the bioproduct. It depends on whether other flammable ingredients are added and in what ratio.

[0172] Most of the examples display bioproduct material ratios where 1 g of biopolymer is used. Much larger production volumes are often used to create bioproduct samples, especially if drying heights matter. Drying height is the height of the poured bioproduct mixture in a container in which it is left to dry. The heights in the examples are starting point recommendations.Example 1 : Low Acyl Gellan Paper and Cardboard

[0173] An example of a manufacturing method for making a paper alternative for achieving a circular economy will now be described. The method can be used for making paper or cardboard that can be used for writing, for cushioned packaging, and several other paper applications.

[0174] Bioproduct Material Ratio:• Biopolymer: 1 g of low acyl gellan gum;• Plasticizer: 1 mL of glycerol;• Solvent: 50 mL deionized water (diH2O)Optional Solvent: Up to 10 mL of diluted phytic acid : 40 mL diH2O for a total of 50 mL);• Internal Mineral Application: Up to 0.2 g magnesium citrate;• External Mineral Application : Up to 10 g calcium chloride : 100 mL deionized water (diH2O) as a surface spray;• Optional Suitable Additives:1 drop of essential oil / lipid source for scent or as a preservative;Up to 0.1 g of hibiscus flower powder or other colorants - colours may bleed from the material if there is too much, especially when working with gellan gum.It is noted that the gellan gum is “leaky”. Low acyl gellan operates at a pH of from about 5-7 The colours will wash out when soaked / boiled in water. Also, when the second bioproduct is freeze-dried, if a swirl pattern forms on top of the dried bioproduct, too much hydrophobic ingredients were added. If crevasses form when proper air drying occurred before the freeze-dry process, too much mineral and chelating ingredients may have been added.Lab Production Volume:• 12x12 glass dish that can be put in the freeze dryer / lyophilizer;• 400 mL for cardboard, approximately 2 cm poured drying height and 200 mL for paper, approximately 1cm poured drying height;• For stronger cardboard, 600 mL was used.Method:1. Heat 50 mL diH2O to approximately 50°C in a beaker on a hot plate with a magnetic stirrer set at 200 rpm for 5 minutes.It is noted that the heat is not necessary but good to have along with the stirring / agitating so that biopolymers polymerize faster and more uniformly.2. Add 1 mL of glycerol plasticizer to the diH2OIt is noted that Glycerol is added to the solvent before stirring and heating. This sped up the lab testing process when all liquid ingredients could be mixed beforehand. Also, any oils may be mixed in with the liquid ingredients but it may slow down the polymerization of the biopolymer, therefore, it is often added last.3. In a separate container, mix dry ingredients together (1 g low acyl gellan gum + 0.1 g magnesium citrate + optional additives).4. Add the dry mix to the 50 mL plasticized diH2O and increase the stirring rpms until the ingredients are completely dissolved.It is noted that optionally, the dry ingredients can be added one-at-a-time.5. Add the 1 drop of essential oil or antimicrobial / antifungal oil optional additive. If necessary, increase the temperature and stirring up to 90 C to help dissolve the dry mix. If the solution is too hot, bubbling and overflowing may occur. This is undesirable as itintroduces bubbles into the final bioproduct. Heated ultrasonication or pouring through a fine filter may be necessary to remove bubbles or foam.6. Pour the bioproduct solution into a container / mould compatible with freeze-drying. Allow the bioproduct to cool and gel at room temperature. The mould should have a large flat surface area. For a paper bioproduct, the poured solution in the mould should have a thickness between 0.5 cm to 1 cm. For a cardboard / foam bioproduct, the poured solution in the mould should have a thickness of at least 1 cm to 3 cm. The height of the poured solution will dictate the thickness and stiffness of the final bioproduct after it is heat pressed. If the poured material is too thin, it will dry as a clear film which defeats the purpose of a white writable paper alternative.7. Let the bioproduct air dry overnight or until at least 25%-50% of its volume has evaporated.It is noted that since this is low acyl gellan gum, it cannot be frozen before placing into the freeze dryer as that introduces undesirable ice crevasses into the final bioproduct. A uniform product is desirable. Allowing it to partially dry allows for better internal polymer entanglement so that it does not “explode” in the freeze dryer. In other words, the bioproduct stays intact as water is being removed.8. Put the dehydrated bioproduct into the freeze dryer / lyophilizer for about 36 hours for 1 cm of material thickness. it is noted that generally, it will completely dry within 48 hours. Slow freeze-drying is essential to prevent wrinkling and deformities in the material. The freeze dryer setting generally used is Ramp Rate (C / min) of 1 .00, Shelf Temp (C) of 22C, Time (hh:mm) 48:00, and Vacuum (mbar) 0.250.It is noted that freeze drying it produces a soft foam that is different from the Styrofoam™ and flip flop sandal foam alternatives.9. Remove the foam-like dried bioproduct from the freeze dryer. Lightly spray the bioproduct surface with the external mineral crosslinker. Liberal application is acceptable so long as cracks do not form. Wipe off excess external mineral crosslinker. The initial wetting softens the surface for compression.It is noted that if too much oil or phytic acid non-mineral crosslinker is added, large crevasses may also form in the dried foam. Just reduce the amounts added or use other less effective non-mineral crosslinkers in the next batch.10. Compress and smooth out the gellan gum foam bioproduct on a flat surface with a large rolling pin. For best results, use a heat press with large plates to compress thebioproduct for up to 20 seconds between 100°C to 180°C so as to not burn the bioproduct. Lower temperatures and longer times are generally preferred. The heat will help iron out the wrinkles.11 . Allow product to further dry and cool flat. If it cracks, too much minerals were either internally / externally applied. Use a lower concentration for the external spray in the next batch.12. At this point, the gellan gum bioproduct can be cut / folded as needed. Cut off the imperfect edges of the paper / cardboard bioproduct and then to the desired dimensions as needed.13. In the case of cardboard, for increased water resistance, spray the surface with a more water-resistant formula of gellan gum crosslinked with phytic acid and minerals as a finish.

[0175] A mineral crosslinker is added to the dry mix to prevent the final bioproduct from turning to mush internally when in contact with water. For paper applications, this may not be necessary and the surface treatment is enough. However, for foam or cardboard applications, it is recommended as it also structurally strengthens the final product. The bioproduct is surface sprayed with a mineral crosslinker to increase the water resistance of the bioproduct surface. If too much mineral crosslinking is present, the final bioproduct becomes too brittle and will crack. This is an indicator to use lower internal / external mineral crosslinking concentrations.

[0176] The material values above are ratios. Up to a combined total of 0.5 g of dry additives such as mineral crosslinkers, non-mineral crosslinkers, “other” additives and any combination thereof can be added so long as the final bioproduct does not form any crevasses.

[0177] Although the initial production of gellan paper and cardboard have been described in terms of a specific illustrative embodiment, it is to be understood that this embodiment is by way of an example only and the scope of the invention is not intended to be limited thereby. Several alternative materials may be used while remaining within the scope of the invention. For example, distilled water (dH2O), double distilled water (ddH2O) or filtered regular tap water may be used instead of diH2O as long as the majority of ions and other impurities are removed beforehand. Even well water or other potentially hard water source can still be used as a starting material as long as the majority of the ions are removed before starting the process. Thus, parts of the world wherein well water is the only accessible water source will still be able to perform the method of the present invention as long as they have access to the remaining material, whether that material is new or sourced through discarded products. A filtering process for removing ions present in the water may thus be added as a first step. In addition, if the water contains significant amountsof ions such as calcium and / or magnesium, the amount of magnesium citrate and / or calcium carbonate may be adjusted to account for the ions already present.

[0178] The color of the paper bioproduct may also be modified according to a desired application. Calcium citrate, calcium carbonate, or zinc oxide up to 0.05 g, can replace the magnesium citrate in the example to make the bioproduct whiter. Other colour additives may be added. If the colours bleed from the material, consider using less or using clays to colour the material. However, clays contain a combination of minerals. The amount of minerals in the formulation will need to be adjusted.

[0179] For paper, use weaker external crosslinking application (i.e., 5 g CaCI2 / 100 mL) since the product is so thin and may crack. The external spray application is still necessary to prevent it from turning to mush on contact with water. It will still swell, but at least it will not mush. For thicker foams that will be turned into cardboard, higher concentration of CaCI2maximize the amount of water resistance on the surface. Adding a low amount of phytic acid optionally in the solvent is recommended for increased water / oil resistance. However, too much acid or oils forms gaps and crevasses in the foam.

[0180] For stiffer cardboard, use less glycerol. Instead of 1 mL, perhaps 0.5 mL. For flimsier paper, use up to 2 mL glycerol.

[0181] Keep the ingredients simple for ease of biopolymer recovery. In some embodiments, as few as three ingredients are needed for this bioproduct - low acyl gellan, plasticizer, and mineral crosslinker.

[0182] Although the step of air drying to remove water should preferably be performed overnight, the water evaporation may alternatively be performed for a shorter period of time. For example, a vacuum oven may be used to evaporate the water for a shorter period of time. Preferably, the polymerized gel should lose half of its water weight and should not be frozen prior to freeze- drying, as frozen gels tend to crack which will not yield the desired paper product. The final bioproduct may have additional layers of the same biopolymer (i.e., low acyl gellan gum) or a different biopolymer (ex: low methoxyl pectin with food grade polyphosphates, calcium citrate, and glycerol) having a desired property (ex: water-resistance) applied onto the final bioproduct and dried to create a protective layer that can be removed in order to remove any contaminants such as food and liquid residues before beginning the recycling process. This can ensure that the biopolymer being recovered remains relatively pure and free of any undesired contaminants which could compromise the recyclability of the discarded product.

[0183] Once sufficient water has been evaporated, the partially dehydrated product can be slowly freeze-dried. Preferably, the partially dehydrated product is incubated in a freeze dryer for about 36 hours although the period of time may be shortened or extended according to the desired paper product and by adjusting parameters of the freeze dryer. A longer freeze-drying time also minimizes wrinkle and other imperfections in the final product.

[0184] Increasing the amount of crosslinking agents in step 3 will lead to denser more compact gels at step 4 and eventually a thinner final product. If treated internally and on the surface, the biopaper will still absorb water but will not turn to mush. Thus, adjusting the presence of calcium ions and / or magnesium ions by respectively adjusting the amount of calcium citrate and magnesium citrate should be optimized according to desired properties of the paper product. In order to minimize any skin irritation, the surface of the dried product may be sprayed with other minerals crosslinking solutions such as calcium citrate or magnesium citrate instead of calcium chloride, which may irritate sensitive skin. Alternatively, the dried product may be soaked instead of sprayed although this will render the final product more brittle. Accordingly, compressing and smoothening out the solid by pressing, rolling, and / or stroking with a flat surface or rolling pin should be performed with care. This step may be performed by heat pressing at low temperatures.

[0185] In another embodiment, the paper production entails adding one or more emulsifier together with an oil for modifying the texture, reduce shrinking, provide antimicrobial and / or antifungal properties and scent to the paper product. Gellan gum can naturally bind oil as it is itself an emulsifier and as such, emulsifiers are not needed. When freeze-drying, 1 drop of oil is preferred whether it’s essential oils or vitamin E (70,000 I U) blends. The inventor has found that 1 drop works best for a paper product as reducing the amount of additives is desirable for the final paper product. If too much oil is present, the foam coming out of the freeze dryer will have an oil swirl pattern on top or a wide crevasse will appear where the oil was not evenly distributed in the solution.

[0186] In another embodiment, the paper production entails adding natural dyes such as carmine, annatto, curcumin, hibiscus flower powder, chlorophyll, paprika, beetroot, and black squid ink powder to obtain a desired color, although these may be less desirable as they dissolve in water. Other additives well known in the art may be added to provide the final product with a desired property while remaining within the scope of the invention. For example, cellulose microcrystal, cellulose nanocrystal or cellulose fibres may also be added during the paper production process to obtain a desired texture and color. Cellulose can be sourced from driedshredded fibres or powder from paper, fruit piths (ex: pomelo), or as microcrystal and / or nanocrystals and added to strengthen the gellan gel and make the final product feel harder and more rigid. However, it also makes the gel swell with more water since the formulation absorbs more water. Generally, only one of these additives should be added as divalent ions should not exceed a total of 0.2 g to allow the biopolymer to form a gel and the pH should remain between pH 4-8 for best gelling performance. However, it is best to use less than 0.1 g when freeze- drying the dehydrated product.

[0187] Although these alternative embodiments have been described in terms of a specific illustrative embodiment regarding gellan paper and cardboard, it is to be understood that these alternative embodiments should also be considered by the skilled person with respect to other products comprising biopolymers such as the ones described in the examples below and others comprising similar biopolymers compatible with the recovery process described herein.

[0188] Lastly, the paper or cardboard final product may be folded, bended, and / or glued to make cardboard for packaging. Advantageously, the final product is very soft such that paper cuts may be avoided.

[0189] After the paper product has been used and discarded, the discarded paper product can be processed to recover the biopolymers and other materials to produce a fresh batch of paper. Advantageously, the water required for making the paper can be recuperated for a next batch in order to minimize water consumption. The recovered material may alternatively be used to produce a different product by removing and / or adding other materials suitable for making the desired product.

[0190] The same process is used to make staple fibers where less mineral crosslinker (up to 0.05 g) is used in step 3 and a higher drying height is used. Once dried, the top layer of the foam is pulled off, revealing soft internal fibers which can be twisted and spun. The spun material is then surface treated for water resistance.Example 2: Low Acyl Gellan Gum as a Styrofoam™ Alternative

[0191] This bioproduct is useful as molded packaging, packing peanuts, foam coffee cups, and potentially carvable 3D objects.Bioproduct Material Ratio:• Biopolymer: 1 g of low acyl gellan gum;• Plasticizer: 0.5 g of Magnesium Stearate;Optional: 0.3 g Magnesium Stearate with 0.2 g Magnesium Citrate for a more uniform foam;• Solvent: 50 mL deionized water (diH2O)Optional Solvent: Up to 10 mL of diluted phytic acid (OIF) : 40 mL diH2O for a total of 50 mL);• Internal Mineral Application: Not applicable as Magnesium Stearate acts as both the plasticizer and mineral crosslinker;• External Mineral Application: Start with calcium chloride (10 g / 100 mL) Increase / decrease concentration as needed.Lab Production Materials:• 12x12 glass dish that can be put in the freeze dryer / lyophilizer;• 3D shaped objects that can be placed into the glass dish to be the negative form for the packing mold;• Cup shaped silicon molds that hold 200 mL;• 100 mL ice cube silicon molds.Method:1. Heat 50 mL diH2O to approximately 50°C in a beaker on a hot plate with a magnetic stirrer set at 200 rpm for 5 minutes.2. In a separate container, mix dry ingredients together (1 g low acyl gellan gum + 0.5 g magnesium stearate).3. Add the dry mix to the 50 mL diH2O and increase the stirring rpms until the ingredients are completely dissolved.4. If necessary, increase the temperature and stirring up to 90°C to help dissolve all of the low acyl gellan gum biopolymer. If the solution is too hot, bubbling and overflowing may occur. This is undesirable. It is preferred to use a lower heat and longer stir times to ensure proper polymerization.5. Pour the bioproduct mixture into the molds all the way to the top.6. Allow the bioproduct to cool and gel at room temperature. This bioproduct composition retains its shape and volume well. However, shrinking will still occur.7. Let the bioproduct air dry overnight to obtain a dehydrated product and longer for denser bioproduct or if the molds do not expose much of the product’s surface to dry. As it is a low acyl gellan bioproduct, it cannot be frozen before placing into thefreeze dryer. Therefore, it’s important the product has ample time to dehydrate such that it does not “explode” in the freeze dryer.8. Put the dehydrated bioproduct into the freeze dryer for about 36 hours for 1 cm of material thickness.9. Remove the dried Styrofoam™ alternative bioproduct from the freeze dryer. Heavily spray the bioproduct surface with the external mineral crosslinker. Liberal application is acceptable so long as cracks do not form. That is indicative of a mineral crosslinker concentration that is too high. Wipe off excess external mineral crosslinker. If the surface is not hard enough, use higher concentrations of mineral crosslinker.10. Allow product to further dry.11. If used for food contact purposes, magnesium stearate is known to have a laxative effect. Therefore, an extra water / oil resistant bioproduct coating can be applied to the dried surface to minimize contact between the food and magnesium stearate.

[0192] The water / oil resistant spray or dip coating should be made of similar materials, low acyl gellan gum, phytic acid, magnesium citrate, and glycerol for purity of product during the biopolymer recovery process.

[0193] Lastly, it is important to note that when recovering the biopolymer, the reaction of magnesium stearate and extraction media citric acid makes magnesium citrate and stearic acid. Using methods not in the scope of this patent, the magnesium citrate and stearic acid could potentially be recovered for re-use. The point is the reusability of materials and circularity potential of these processes.

[0194] For a more uniform Styrofoam™ alternative bioproduct, the 0.5 g of Magnesium Stearate may be replaced with 0.2 g Magnesium Citrate and 0.3 g Magnesium Stearate. It produces a more uniform Styrofoam™ alternative that conforms to shape molds better.Recycling of Low Acyl Gellan Foam, Paper, and Cardboard

[0195] This describes the biopolymer recovery process that is not limited to recycling just the paper or cardboard bioproducts. It can be used to recycle the different foam alternatives, films, bandages, and absorbent pads. As well, it can be used for bioproducts containing various biopolymers (low acyl gellan gum, high acyl gellan gum, alginate, low methoxyl pectin, amidated low methoxyl pectin, konjac / glucomannan) and their combinations.Bioproduct Material Ratio:• Extraction Media: Up to 50 g Citric Acid : 50 mL diH2OOptional: Up to 50 mL original phytic acid or other acids as listed in Table 1 , though concentrations may vary. Stronger concentrations are required for stronger bioproduct formulations;• diH2O for soaking and rinsing the bioproduct;• Alkaline Media: Up to 20 g Potassium carbonate (K2CO3): 50 mL diH2O Optional: Up to 20 g sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate.It is noted that if the bioproduct uses high concentrations of phytic acid and minerals in its formulation, stronger / higher acid extraction media concentrations may be required along with longer heating and stirring times. Most bioproducts react to lower concentrations of acidic extraction media and alkaline treatment.It is noted that the foam, paper, or cardboard may need to be cut up into smaller pieces. Use enough extraction media, diH2O, and alkaline media to comfortably hold and stir the pieces in each step. The above material descriptions are concentrations as the volume is dependent on the container size and shape. In the lab, 1 g of low acyl gellan bioproduct was cut (chopped) into small pieces and placed into a 150 mL beaker containing 100 mL of extraction media.Method:1. Clean and rinse the discarded low acyl gellan gum bioproduct with water to remove contaminants. Filter to extract the solid low acyl gellan gum product and recycle the water by distillation and removal of any residual debris.2. Boil while stirring / agitating the solid low acyl gellan gum product in water to separate the plurality of layers at a temperature of at least about 70°C to about 90°C, if layers exist.3. Discard the contaminated layer, if necessary to maintain the purity of the recovered biopolymer.It is noted that if the layers are of the same bioproduct composition, it can also be recovered together. No need to separate.4. Continue boiling the remaining low acyl gellan gum product in diH2O at a temperature of at least about 70°C to about 90°C for about 20 to about 30 minutes.It is noted that if oil, glycerol plasticizers, and the like can be removed / recuperated from the water as they tend to naturally leach into the water during the boiling process.5. Filter to extract the solid low acyl gellan gum product pieces. Cut the solid low acyl gellan gum product into smaller pieces to increase surface area exposure and speed up the recovery process.Note: The solid low acyl gellan gum product could also be cut into smaller pieces prior to boiling in step 2, if extra layers did not have to be removed or discarded.6. Boil while stirring / agitating the solid low acyl gellan gum pieces in the citric acid extraction media for about 15 minutes to about 3 hours at a temperature of at least about 70°C to about 90°C. Only filter out the pieces when they appear to be breaking into smaller pieces in the media or if they break when a force is applied. If it only creases, when a force is applied, then more boiling time in the extraction media is necessary.7. Heat from about 70°C to about 90°C with stirring / agitation the filtered pieces in diH2O for about 30 minutes to dilute the acid. Filter out the low acyl gellan gum pieces, and recycle the water.8. Boil the low acyl gellan gum pieces in diH2O containing potassium carbonate (K2CO3) at a temperature of at least about 70°C to about 90°C for about 2 to 30 minutes or until the pieces look like they are starting to dissolve. They will plump up in size and this reaction generally happens quickly.It is noted that the low acyl gellan gum pieces can also be soaked at room temperature in the alkaline treatment instead of being heated. However, it is more difficult to visually tell when it is ready. When left overnight to soak, the pieces completely dissolved and disappeared into the alkaline media. So quickly boiling it for a few minutes works better.9. Rinse or lightly soak the low acyl gellan gum in room temperature or cold water to dilute the alkaline treatment such that the low acyl gellan gum is now near neutral pH. Dry to recuperate the low acyl gellan gum and store for subsequent use. The pH will need to be recalibrated for use in the optimal range when a second bioproduct is made.Note: Even at this stage, if low acyl gellan gum is soaked too long, it will dissolve in the water. It is best to just rinse or quickly soak it while keeping an eye on it. Eventually, over time, a timing pattern for each step emerges when recycling / recovering the same bioproduct materials with consistent sizes. Visual inspection will no longer be necessary.

[0196] Although the recycling method has been described in terms of a specific illustrative embodiment, it is to be understood that this embodiment is by way of an example only and the scope of the invention is not intended to be limited thereby. Several steps of the method may be added and / or omitted while remaining within the scope of the invention. For example, thediscarded product may or may not comprise a plurality of layers such that the discarded product may only comprise a single layer in which case the steps of boiling the discarded product to separate the plurality of layers and discarding the contaminated layer may be omitted. More importantly, if pectin is added to a low acyl gellan gum layer as a protective layer, the majority of the pectin should be removed not just to remove the contaminants potentially present on the pectin layer but to also maintain a minimum level of purity with respect to the biopolymer composition in the final product which may not have the desired properties when containing residual amounts of a different biopolymer. In addition, the solid product may be soaked for at least 1 hr to 5 days instead of heated to at least about 70°C to about 90°C for about 15 to 3 hours in the extraction media. Once again, it is ready when it breaks when a force is applied. If it creases, it is still not ready.

[0197] Once the protective layer(s) have been separated, the remaining product may be cut into pieces to increase the surface area, thereby reducing the boiling time required to separate the different components of the remaining product. For example, any oil, wax and / or plasticizers may leach out into the water which could easily be separated by phase extraction, centrifugation, filtration and the like. The plasticizers remaining in solution could be retrieved by reverse osmosis or distillation. These additives may be reused for making new products depending on the quality. Other additives like clays may remain with the biopolymer (i.e., low acyl gellan gum) through the whole recycling process.

[0198] Other materials may be used during the recycling process while remaining within the scope of the invention. For example, citric acid may be replaced with another acid, for example with phytic acid as this acid is generally considered safe and already used in the production part of the circular process. Potassium carbonate may be replaced with sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate. Other means of removing the different components may be used while still remaining within the scope of the invention. For example, instead of boiling the solid product pieces in citric acid for about 30 minutes, the product pieces may be soaked at room temperature for about 1 hour to 5 days. The strength of the acid will also influence the required time, which could easily be determined by the skilled person selecting the acid.

[0199] Similarly, other means of removing the acid from the extracted low acyl gellan gum may be used while still remaining within the scope of the invention. For example, the extracted low acyl gellan gum may be soaked in diH2O for about a day rather than boiling the extracted low acyl gellan gum in diH2O for about 30 minutes to dilute the acid. Similarly, the low acyl gellan gum may be soaked in diH2O containing potassium carbonate (K2CO3) for minutes to hours (must be watched) instead of boiling the low acyl gellan gum in diH2O containing potassiumcarbonate (K2CO3) for about 2 to 30 minutes to separate the low acyl gellan gum polymers. In other words, when biopolymer mixture starts to plump up and look like it’s dissolving / turning to gel, it is removed and rinsed. If left too long, it will potentially dissolve completely. It is important that it is rinsed following the alkaline treatment to ensure its pH does not affect production of the next bioproduct. For example, if it is not properly rinsed, it may have a pH > 10 and to place that into a phytic acid solution would affect the next bioproduct formation.

[0200] The dried pieces of low acyl gellan gum may be stored for long-term storage until needed to make a fresh batch of any desired product. This is possible only after acid treatment of the biopolymer. However, potassium carbonate may be required during the rehydration process although if the biopolymer has been treated with potassium carbonate, the biopolymer does not need to be treated with potassium carbonate again to be rehydrated. Alternatively, alkaline DES containing additives like lignin may be added directly to the acid extracted and subsequent water rinsed recovered biopolymer, thereby skipping the alkaline treatment. Upon contact with the potassium carbonate, low acyl gellan gum starts gelling with the lignin. Once rehydrated, the recycled low acyl gellan gum bioproduct can be produced, keeping pH in mind. Other additives can be added or pH adjustments can be made. Some additives may stay associated with the recovered low acyl gellan gum. These associated additives may be omitted from the production process. Other ingredients that are more difficult to recuperate should be added again. Plasticizers such as glycerol used in the example, along with the crosslinkers such as magnesium citrate and calcium carbonate should be added again during the production process. If the discarded product comprised more than one biopolymer and the recycling process did not separate them, the ratios of the biopolymer should be adjusted according to the desired product. The pH may need to be adjusted to between the optimal low acyl gellan pH range of 4 and 8 by using an acidic / alkaline additive or non-mineral crosslinker.

[0201] It is to be understood that some of the material used in the recycling process may be replaced or omitted while remaining within the scope of the invention. For example, citric acid may be replaced with original phytic acid (ca. 50% in water, ca. 1.1 mol / L)) having a pH of less than 3.

[0202] Advantageously, the water can be recycled at every step to minimize waste. The water can be recuperated from freeze-drying, distillation (cleaning / rinsing), and condensation (evaporation collected in heat / vacuum dryer). Citric acid, obtainable from citrus waste can also be recuperated and reused several times in the recycling process as well as in the production process.

[0203] Other reagents that can be used and which have been contemplated by the inventor will now be discussed as alternatives to the above example for the production and recycling of a paper / cardboard product. Other specific considerations for optimizing the production and recycling process will also be discussed. The inventor has observed that no more than 0.5 grams of combined magnesium or calcium citrate or carbonate should be used in the production process as a rule of thumb or starting point for developing formulations. The optimal quantity was determined to be under 0.2 grams but is dependent on applications. Regulatory guidelines should also be an important consideration as these may vary according to the jurisdiction.Notes on Troubleshooting

[0204] If after the alkaline treatment and rinsing, the bioproduct fails to dissolve in hot (70°C- 90°C) water, that is because it is still mineral crosslinked, meaning, it was not boiled in the acidic treatment long enough or not in a high / strong enough concentration. If it is the case, the process may be repeated. In this case, the extracting medium may have a higher concentration of acid.

[0205] When working with pectins and alginates, use a lower concentration of acid as it will dissolve quickly in the acid treatment, with low methoxyl and amidated low methoxyl pectin dissolving the fastest. Alginate will cloud first. The pectins will generally stay clear but will noticeably get thinner and smaller quickly. Filter them out when that occurs. If left too long, alginate and the pectins will dissolve in the acid. Low acyl gellan and high acyl gellan gum will generally break into smaller pieces, when a force is applied to indicate it is done the acid treatment.

[0206] Typically, a strong alkaline treatment is not necessary. Lower concentrations work well too, although slower. Sodium bicarbonate is not favoured as it is a milky white solution making it very difficult to visually tell when the products are about to dissolve whereas sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate stay clear.

[0207] The strongest bioproduct formulations are generally, low acyl gum formulations that are crosslinked with multiple non-mineral chelator crosslinkers, internally mineral crosslinked, and externally crosslinked. For example, low acyl gellan gum + phytic acid, + lignin + internal calcium citrate + external calcium chloride spray. . The phytic acid bioproduct formulations are generally the most difficult to recycle. These require the higher concentrations of acid and boiling. Although diluted hydrochloric acid, oxalic acid, and sodium hydroxide can be used in the biopolymer recovery process, ultimately, safety was the main consideration both for household use and the release in the environment. These materials are noted but not included in Table 1. Carbonic acid (bubbling carbon dioxide in water) was also considered however, it was too weak as an acidtreatment for the more acid resistant bioproducts. Vinegar generally works but citric and ascorbic are the preferred heated acid treatments as it is more effective and much cheaper than phytic acid. Phytic acid can be used in the acid soaking treatment as higher temperatures may break it down.

[0208] Sometimes, the non-mineral crosslinkers stay tightly linked to the low acyl gellan gum like lignin. For purity of the recovered gellan gum, just boil and dissolve the recovered gellan gum in diH2O. Pour it onto a large surface like a table. Let it cool down a bit before spraying it with a mineral crosslinker like magnesium / calcium citrate. Use a high concentration. Collect the formed semi-solids. Water will remain on the table. This separates the gellan from the liquid. Repeat the whole recycling process on the collected semi-solid pieces. More of the lignin will leach out into the acid / water / alkaline treatment solutions. Of course, process times will be shortened on the second run. You may also lose more of the low acyl gellan gum volume when repeating the process but it should be purer as shown in Figure 25. Much lignin has already been removed just after the first pass.

[0209] In Figure 25 D, the film was already treated with potassium carbonate, rinsed with water, and then redissolved in hot water. Then it was poured onto the table top surface and sprayed with Calcium Chloride (10 g / 100 mL). Really, magnesium or calcium citrate should be used instead. Scoop up what was solidified. The remaining liquid was wiped off the table. The liquid was brown in colour suggesting that it contained lignin. After repeating the recovery process, a clearer gellan gum was recovered as more of the lignin was removed.

[0210] For a more circular model, magnesium / calcium citrate, magnesium / calcium phytate, and citric acid / phytic acid should be used as those are extracted in the acid treatment and then can be re-used in internal crosslinking. That is why citric acid is the preferred acid treatment - cheap and potential for re-use.Example 3: Low Acyl Gellan Gum, Alginate, or Pectin Absorbent Pad

[0211] The difference between low acyl gellan paper / foam and low acyl gellan absorbent pad are just the additives as the process for making it is the same as in Example 1 . For the low acyl gellan gum absorbent pad, some mucilage (i.e., psyllium husk) or high acyl gellan gum is added into the formulation for more absorbency. Also, the focus shifts to adding the appropriate antimicrobial and antifungal additives that meet product performance and certifications / guidelines. Since the process here is similar for low acyl gellan gum, this example focuses more on alginate and low methoxyl / amidated low methoxyl pectin.

[0212] It is assumed that for any absorbent pad in contact with skin, it is more desirable to have a bioproduct closer to the neutral range, with additives that do not irritate the skin. Therefore, low acyl gellan and alginate may be the better biopolymer choices.

[0213] In the case of food absorbent pads like that for meats and fish where an acidic pad may be beneficial, low methoxyl and amidated low methoxyl pectin may be the better biopolymer choices. It is noted that alginate / pectin operates at a pH of 3-5.Bioproduct Material Ratio:• Biopolymer: 1 .2 g of low methoxyl / amidated low methoxyl pectin or 1 g of sodium alginate• Plasticizer: 1 mL glycerol• Solvent: 50 mL deionized water (diH2O)Optional: Up to 30 mL diluted phytic acid (TIF) : 20 mL diH2O to make 50 mL of solvent;• Internal Mineral Application: Up to 0.1 g magnesium citrate to prevent “mush” but still allow it to be absorbent;• External Mineral Application : Up to 10 g calcium chloride / 100 mL deionized water (diH2O);• Optional Additives:- Antimicrobial / Antifungal additives as needed while following legislated guidelines;- Other non-mineral crosslinkers that are not as strong as phytic acid but are beneficial for the skin such as hyaluronic acid which also displays some antimicrobial / antifungal propertiesMethod:1. Heat 50 mL diH2O to approximately 50°C in a beaker on a hot plate with a magnetic stirrer set at 200 rpm for 5 minutes.2. Add 1 ml of glycerol plasticizer to the diH2O.3. In a separate container, mix dry ingredients together (1 g biopolymer + 0.1 g magnesium citrate + optional dry additives).4. Add the dry mix to the 50 mL plasticized diH2O and increase the stirring rpms until the ingredients are completely dissolved.5. Add the 1 drop of antimicrobial / antifungal oil optional additive. If necessary, increase the temperature and stirring up to 90°C to help dissolve the dry mix. If the solution is too hot, bubbling and overflowing may occur. Heated ultrasonication may be necessary to remove the bubbles or pouring through a filter to reduce foaming.It is noted that Low methoxyl / amidated and low methoxyl pectin are not as compatible with hydrophobic additives. It is better to add acidic antimicrobial / antifungal additives such as ascorbic acid or hyaluronic acid instead of oils.6. Pour the bioproduct solution into a container / mould compatible with freeze- drying. Allow the bioproduct to cool and gel at room temperature. The mould should have a large flat surface area. The bioproduct solution in the mould should have a thickness between 0.5 cm to 1 cm.7. Let the bioproduct air dry overnight or until at least 25%-50% of its volume has evaporated to obtain a dehydrated bioproduct when working with the alginate. The bioproduct cannot be frozen before placing into the freeze dryer as that introduces undesirable ice crevasses into the final bioproduct. A uniform product is desirable. However, the low methoxyl pectin / amidated low methoxyl pectin can directly go into the -20°C freezer.8. Put the dehydrated alginate / frozen pectin bioproduct into the freeze dryer for about 36 hours for 1 cm of material thickness. Slow freeze-drying is essential to prevent wrinkling and deformities in the material. The freeze dryer setting generally used is Ramp Rate (C / min) of 1.00, Shelf Temp (C) of 22C, Time (hh:mm) 48:00, and Vacuum (mbar) 0.250.9. Remove the foam-like dried bioproduct from the freeze dryer. Lightly spray the bioproduct surface with the external mineral crosslinker. Liberal application is acceptable so long as cracks do not form once it is dry and according to the desired surface hardness. Wipe off excess external mineral crosslinker.

[0214] Compression is not needed but it can be performed for a flatter product. Be mindful of the temperature of the heat press plates as the low methoxyl / amidated and low methoxyl pectin can melt at lower temperatures than alginate and low acyl gellan. If the bioproducts are brittle, then reduce the amount of non-mineral crosslinker, especially phytic acid in the next batch. When in contact with water both should act like sponges but not turn to mush.

[0215] If more absorbency is desired add cellulose or mucilage (i.e., psyllium husk) or high acyl gellan gum to the alginate / low acyl gellan gum and not pectins. As a starting point, up to 0.2 g for cellulose but for mucilage and high acyl gellan gum, since they are so absorbent, 0.05 g as a starting point. The amount of mineral crosslinking should also be increased. If there is less crosslinking, the bioproducts are more absorbent but become mushier. Further exploration and experimentation needed.

[0216] Although these pads could be recycled, they are considered biohazardous materials (bacterial contaminated, blood, urine, and feces) after use, therefore, it is recommended to discard them.Example 4: Low Methoxyl / Am idated Low Methoxyl Pectin Plastic Alternative(Thermoplastic / Meldable)

[0217] In general, to be a plastic alternative, it must have desirable plastic functions: can turn into pellets to be melted together, water and oil resistance, low gas permeability, low water vapour permeability, can be thermoformed, and / or is clear. Unfortunately, all traits could not be found in one formulation. A mixture of the biopolymers may also be necessary. Since pellet forming, extrusion, and thermoforming machines were not available to experiment with, the samples were heat pressed to see if they would meld into itself. If it could form a seal, then it could be formed into pellets for thermoforming.

[0218] Some internal mineral crosslinking is acceptable, generally less than 0.05 g of mineral crosslinker to 1 g biopolymer. High amounts of non-mineral crosslinkers also did not effect the meldability of the following samples. However, once it is externally crosslinked, it loses its thermoplastic and melding ability.Low Methoxyl Pectin Bioproduct Material Ratio:• Biopolymer: 1-2 g of low methoxyl / amidated low methoxyl pectin;• Plasticizer: Up to 1 mL glycerol;• Solvent: Up to 20 mL of diluted phytic acid (TIF) and diH2O for the remainder to make a total of 50 mL;• Internal Mineral Application: Up to 0.05 g magnesium citrate as a recommended starting point;• External Mineral Application: Up to 10 g CaCI2 / 100 mL deionized water (diH2O) applied only after the bioproduct is “melded” with heat and pressure.Method:1 . Heat 50 mL of solvent to approximately 50°C in a beaker on a hot plate with a magnetic stirrer set at 200 rpm for 5 minutes.2. Add up to 2 mL of glycerol plasticizer to the solvent.3. In a separate container, mix dry ingredients together (1 g biopolymer + 0.05 g magnesium citrate).4. Add the dry mix to the 50 mL plasticized diH2O solvent and increase the stirring rpms until the ingredients are completely dissolved. If necessary, the temperature can be increased up to 90°C or when the mixture starts bubbling. Bubbling is undesirable as it introduces bubbles into the final bioproduct. Ultrasonication may be necessary to remove the bubbles or pour through a filter to remove the foam.5. Pour the mixture into a large tray or large surface area mold. Allow it to dry to a film.6. Preheat heat press between 80°C -140°C. Fold the film edge. Heat press for approximate10-20 seconds at 120 C with constant pressure applied. No method of recording of how much pressure was available. Crystal clear edges indicated good melded seals. Long press times and lower temperatures are preferred for better seals. This requires fiddling with temperature and pressure as each heat press machine and biopolymer quality will vary.It is to be noted that_more internal crosslinking reduces the tackiness of the bioproduct and reduces its ability to meld. Lots of trial and error are necessary to get just the right pressure, time, heat, and formula optimized.7. Externally treat the final bioproduct with a mineral crosslinking spray (only after melding). If using calcium chloride, it is recommended to start with a lower concentration such as 2 g CaCI2 / 100 mL deionized water (diH2O). Allow it to dry. If the bioproduct cracks, reduce the concentration. Otherwise, increase the concentration to create a strong water and oil resistant surface.8. Recover the bioproduct if needed using the method described in Example 2.

[0219] Different suppliers offer different standardizations of low methoxyl / amidated low methoxyl pectin so results can vary. Some standardizations come with polyphosphates which are also strong chelators. The concentration of phytic acid may need to be reduced. Other strong chelators such as wine tannins can also be used.Example 5: High Acyl Gellan Gum Elastic Film / Rehydratable Hydrocolloid Bandage

[0220] High acyl gellan gum and konjac gum have the unique ability to absorb water like a sponge but retain its shape (not dissolve) when crosslinked. Although konjac gum can be used to make elastic films or hydrocolloid bandages, it is used as a food source. Whereas high acyl gellan gum is used as a food additive. Konjac gum also requires a higher pH when crosslinking whereas high acyl gellan gum operates near the neutral range allowing flexibility for slightly acidic / alkaline formulations. High acyl gellan and konjac requires a pH above pH 7. Therefore, the preference is to use high acyl gellan gum.

[0221] When making an elastic film or rehydratable hydrocolloid bandage, the idea is to load as much hydrophobic material into the bioproduct without sacrificing stretch. It adds some water resistance. Some beneficial hydrophobic non-mineral crosslinkers that can operate in a wide pH range include hesperidin. Curdlan is also hydrophobic and stretchy but requires an alkaline environment to dissolve. The ability to create different rehydratable bandages at various pHs accommodates the addition of medicinal ingredients or metal ions (such as silver and copper) that are pH dependent.

[0222] The idea behind the rehydratable hydrocolloid bandage is the need for large surface, lightweight wound care with gentle self-adhesion. Scenarios such as large area skin burns where hospitals or treatment facilities are not nearby, eczema treatments, animal wounds, or space travel. The rehydratable bandage is really just a dehydrated elastic film that can also absorb exudate. The rehydratable bandage naturally contains antimicrobial / antifungal ingredients to preserve its shelf life along with the fact that it is stored as a dehydrated, single-sheet, foldable bioproduct. Only when hydrated is it activated as an elastic film that adheres to itself so no extra adhesive needs to be added. The film does dry out but slowly and this can be modulated based on the ingredients in its formulation.

[0223] Another benefit is that this bioproduct can also be recycled using the method described in Example 2 to recover the biopolymer. Though, it may be considered as biohazardous waste once used. It may need to be discarded where it would biodegrade unlike plastic. Hydrocolloid bandages already exist in the market, though their design and compositions are different from the bioproducts described herein. No plastic backing is used or hydrocolloid moist pad that generally includes gelatin in its formulation. Clinical tests are needed to prove its effectiveness in wound care.High Acyl Gellan Gum Elastic Film - Acidic Formulation:• Biopolymer: 1 .5 g high acyl gellan gum;• Plasticizer: Up to 1 mL of glycerol;• Solvent: 490 mL of diH2O water + 10 mL OIF dilute phytic acid;• Internal Mineral Crosslinker: o As it already comes standardized with a large amount of calcium, additional mineral crosslinker is not necessary. It is preferable to use little to no crosslinker.• External Mineral Crosslinker: o Up to 20 g / 100 mL magnesium glycinate / magnesium oxide blend, up to 10 g / 100 mL zinc oxide, or up to 10 g / 100 mL calcium chloride;• Non-mineral crosslinker: up to 0.3 g hesperidin;• Optional Additive: o Up to 0.6 Kaolin Clay; o Up to 3 drops of oil (i.e., vitamin E blend, cinnamaldehyde, thyme, etc.).

[0224] High acyl gellan gum often comes standardized with a lot of calcium citrate crosslinking, like 300mg+ so 0.3 g already. For surface sprays, magnesium / calcium glycinate is preferred as the external crosslinker as it often comes with a bit of magnesium oxide which leaves a powdery residue on the material so that it is easier to handle. Although CaCI2 works well too. It might bebeneficial to use zinc oxide as well as a surface spray.

[0225] Density of the material defines how strong the film is and height of the material when drying. That is because it seems to shrink vertically more than horizontally when drying. As it loses its water volume, it becomes denser. It was noticed that higher, more dense, drying heights were stronger. Looking at the low acyl gellan gum freeze-dried foams, it seems gellan gum forms layers. Therefore, drying height matters. So at minimum, it needs to be at least 2 cm high where the ratio of 0.5g high acyl gellan gum to 50 mL diH2O of water is used.Rehydratable Hydrocolloid Bandage

[0226] A rehydratable hydrocolloid bandage that can be cut to any size to treat burn victims in the field, treat eczema patients, or be a lightweight, dehydrated, foldable, simple wound care product for unique environments like space travel, was developed.

[0227] To obtain rehydration of the dried elastic film was performed by adding water which renders the rehydrated elastic film extremely sticky. Thus, no adhesive needed. It can fold as a large sheet. The rehydratable hydrocolloid bandage can be cut it to any shape or size. The rehydration hydrocolloid bandage can also be made less sticky. However, it will always adhere to itself. To remove, just run it under water and it will gently slide off. It stays hydrated for quite some time. An acidic or alkaline version can be manufactured so that it could carry particular molecules for healing. For example, hyaluronic acid, collagen, casein, and clays could be used for healing.

[0228] Phytic acid or another clear non-mineral crosslinker should be used to obtain a clear rehydration hydrocolloid bandage that is good for skin healing and further crosslink it with a mineral crosslinker that is best suited for the skin application. The minimum ratio is 0.5 g high acyl gellan gum to 1 g all dry additives in 100 mL diH2O water. However, it is often better to have a higher high acyl gellan gum content.High Acyl Gellan Gum Elastic Film - Acidic Formulation:• Biopolymer: 1 .5 g high acyl gellan gum;• Plasticizer: Up to 1 mL of glycerol;• Solvent: 490 mL of diH2O water > 10 mL OIF dilute phytic acid;• Internal Mineral Crosslinker: o As it already comes standardized with a large amount of calcium, additional mineral crosslinker is not necessary.• External Mineral Crosslinker:o Up to 20 g / 100 mL magnesium glycinate / magnesium oxide blend, up to 10 g / 100 mL zinc oxide, or up to 10 g / 100 mL calcium chloride.• Non-mineral crosslinker: up to 0.3 g hesperidin;• Optional Additive: o Up to 0.6 Kaolin Clay; o Up to 3 drops of oil (i.e., vitamin E blend, cinnamaldehyde, thyme, etc.).High Acyl Gellan Gum Elastic Film - Alkaline Formulation:• Biopolymer: 1 .5 g high acyl gellan gum;• Plasticizer: Up to 1 mL of glycerol;• Solvent: 250 diH2O water;• Internal Mineral Crosslinker: o 0.6 g calcium carbonate to increase alkalinity; o 0.2 g curdlan gum (only dissolvable in an alkaline environment as created by calcium carbonate);Optional: If more internal crosslinking is desired, tricalcium phosphate can be used so that pH stays near neutral and calcium carbonate / curdlan are not needed.• External Crosslinker: o Up to 20 g / 100 mL magnesium glycinate / magnesium oxide blend, up to 10 g / 100 mL zinc oxide, or up to 10 g / 100 mL calcium chloride.• Non-mineral crosslinker: up to 0.3 g hesperidin;• Optional Additive: o Up to 2 drops of oil (vitamin E blend, cinnamaldehyde, thyme, etc.) for antimicrobial / antifungal properties; o Instead of calcium carbonate and curdlan gum, up to 0.2 g of collagen or other beneficial skin additives can be used; o Instead of calcium carbonate, nacre / pearl powder can also be used as nacre mainly consists of calcium carbonate but has other beneficial effects for skin.Method:1. Heat the solvent up to about 70°C stirring in a beaker on a hot plate with a magnetic stirrer set at 200 rpm for 5 minutes to start.2. Add 1 ml of glycerol and continue heating and stirring.3. Mix dry ingredients together.4. Add half of dry mix to the 100 mL of solvent and increase the stirring rpms until the ingredients are completely dissolved. If necessary, the temperature can be increased up closer to 90°C but not bubbling. Bubbling is undesirable as it can quickly overflow.5. Add the remainder of the dry mix. If more water is needed to ensure proper polymerization, add up to 100 mL more.6. Pour the solution into a large dish with tall sides. Make sure the drying mould is tall enough to account for at least 2 cm height of poured drying material plus the added water in step 5. Drying height matters. Preference is for a drying height > 2 cm.7. Allow it to dry.8. Once dried, stretch the material out and apply the external crosslinking spray to both sides. Allow the product to dry again for storage.9. To use, just wet / soak in clean water and it will instantly rehydrate and stretch. Stretch / wrap it over the skin. It will self-adhere.Note: if there is too much crosslinking, it will interfere with high acyl gum’s ability to stretch and absorb water.Note: this is a starting point formula.

[0229] Generally, higher high acyl gum content is preferred. Instead of phytic acid, another acidic non-mineral crosslinker can be used so long as it is beneficial for wound healing or calms the skin such as hyaluronic acid.

[0230] These formulations could be used as a starting point for adjustable acidic or alkaline pH bioproducts that can hold medicinal / other skin / wound beneficial molecules.

[0231] The curdlan gum imparts some water resistance because it is generally hydrophobic. Hesperidin can also be added as hesperidin is compatible in a wide pH range. Since curdlan gum is used, there is no need to add hesperidin to increase crosslinking for water resistance. Likewise, clays can be added too. Be mindful of its mineral content.

[0232] The difference between the elastic film in this example and the vinyl formula in the next example is the swap in the biopolymer. High acyl gellan gum would hold more water while retaining its shape. To create a more water-resistant material, low acyl gellan gum is preferred.Example 6: Low Acyl Gellan Gum Vinyl Alternative

[0233] These vinyl alternatives can be used in several ways from agricultural weed mats that biodegrade releasing precious minerals and phosphates to plastic alternative backing for bandages and short-term vinyl for printed advertising signage materialsLow Acyl Gellan Gum Material Ratio:Biopolymer: 1 g low acyl gellan gum;Plasticizer: Up to 1 mL of glycerol;Solvent: Up to 30 mL diluted phytic acid (OIF) + diH2O water to make 50 mL of solvent;Internal Mineral Crosslinker: o Up to 0.05 g magnesium citrate or similar mineral crosslinker; o Up to 0.5 g of Kaolin clay, French green clay, Brazilian purple clay, or calcium bentonite clayOptional:Replace magnesium citrate with 0.05 g of zinc oxide for added antimicrobial / antifungal performance. Note that clays will already have a substantial amount of minerals. o Use up to 0.6 g of the clays solely without other added internal mineral crosslinkers.• External Mineral Crosslinker: o Up to 10 g / 100 mL calcium chloride / 100 mL diH2O water.• Optional Additives: o Up to 1 drops of oil (i.e., vitamin E blend, cinnamaldehyde, thyme, etc.); o Up to 0.1 g pullulan to thicken the final bioproduct, however, this decreases its water resistance.Method:1. Heat 50 mL diluted phytic acid: diH2O solvent to approximately 50°C in a beaker on a hot plate with a magnetic stirrer set at 200 rpm for 5 minutes.2. Add 1 mL of glycerol plasticizer to the diH2O.3. In a separate container, mix dry ingredients together.4. Add the dry mix to the 50 mL plasticized diH2O and increase the heat to 70°C - 90°C and stirring rpms until the ingredients are completely dissolved.5. Pour through a fine filter may be necessary to remove bubbles or foam as it is poured into a large flat dish to dry.6. Once dry, spray both sides with the external crosslinking spray.For vinyl applications for agricultural use, like a weed mat, clays can be swapped for lignin.Thus, the formula starting point is:• 30 mL OIF diluted phytic acid + 20 mL diH2O water = 50 mL solvent;• 1 g low acyl gellan gum;• 0.1 magnesium citrate (internal mineral crosslinking);• 0.5 g lignin;• 10 g / 100 mL calcium chloride / 100 mL diH2O water external spray can be used but perhaps using a mix of calcium and magnesium mineral crosslinkers would be more beneficial as there is a variety of minerals.Instead of phytic acid, if high water resistance is not necessary, then wine tannin powder (up to 0.2 g wine tannin powder) can be used instead as it is the cheaper option. Either is good for agricultural use by plants. Lignin adds a natural UV protection for the material.

[0234] Figure 27 shows a low acyl gellan gum vinyl alternative but without any internal crosslinking.Example 7: Low Methoxyl Pectin and Low Acyl Gellan Gum Sprays for Paper / Cardboard / Molded Fiber and Textiles

[0235] Alginate can be used too, however, it was found that low methoxyl pectin and low acyl gellan gum are more effective for paper when diluted for spray applications and low acyl gellan gum for textile applications. Alginate tends to be too thick and it is often the first biopolymer to cloud (i.e., absorb water). The formulas below focus more on low methoxyl / amidated low methoxyl pectin and low acyl gellan gum.Paper Sprays

[0236] More than one coating may be necessary. Each coat must be dried first and, a final external mineral crosslinking spray is often used to make it more water and oil resistant but is not necessary if the internal mineral content is already high and if a strong chelator non-mineral crosslinker is used like wine tannins and phytic acid or polyphosphates.It is possible to add a small amount of the pectin to the diluted alginate or low acyl formulations to help form a more polymerized and effective water and / or oil resistant layer without the alginate / low acyl formulations becoming too viscous to spray.Low Methoxyl / Amidated Low Methoxyl Pectin Material Ratio:• Biopolymer: 1 g low methoxyl / amidated low methoxyl pectin;• Solvent: 0.2 g wine tannin powder in 50 mL water OR 10 mL TIF phytic acid and 40 mL water. Wine tannin is the cheaper option but it stains;• Plasticizer: Up to 1 mL glycerol;• Internal Mineral Crosslinker: Up to 0.1 g magnesium citrate;• External Mineral Crosslinker: If used in food applications, regulatory guidelines need to be followed so it is best to review which mineral crosslinker can be used internally and as an external spray and at what concentration before application. For textiles, the usual up to 10 g calcium chloride / 100 mL diH2O water would suffice.Low Acyl Gellan Gum Material Ratio:• Biopolymer: 1 g low acyl gellan gum with up to 0.1 g of low methoxyl / amidated low methoxyl pectin;• Plasticizer: Up to 1 mL glycerol;• Solvent: 30 mL diluted phytic acid (OIF) and 70 mL water to make 100 mL diH2O water such that it is easy to spray;• Internal Mineral Crosslinker: Up to 0.1 magnesium citrate;• External Mineral Crosslinker: Like the pectin example above, it is best to review which mineral crosslinker can be used for the internal and external spray application and at what concentration. For textiles, the usual up to 10 g calcium chloride / 100 mL diH2O water would suffice.Method:1. Heat the solvent to approximately 50°C in a beaker on a hot plate with a magnetic stirrer set at 200 rpm for 5 minutes.2. Add up to 1 ml of glycerol plasticizer to the solvent.It is noted that if low methoxyl pectin / amidated low methoxyl pectin is added to low acyl gellan, then a lower amount of glycerol or no glycerol is needed. Likewise, these pectins do not need a high amount of glycerol plasticizer as they already tend to dry flimsy. This applies to paper / cardboard / molded fiber applications. For textiles, it is better to add glycerol to improve the flexibility of the spray coat once dry and to prevent the coat from “cracking”.3. In a separate container, mix dry ingredients together.4. Add the dry mix to the solvent and increase the heat to 70°C -90°C and stirring rpms until the ingredients are completely dissolved.5. Remove from heat. Allow the solution to cool before pouring into a spray bottle so that the heat does not melt and deform the plastic spray bottle.6. Spray the surface of the paper / cardboard / molded fiber surface / textile surface. Allow to air dry or use a heat blow dryer to dry the layer.7. Apply a second layer to the paper / cardboard / molded fiber surface / textile surface. Once again, allow to air dry or use a heat blow dryer to dry the layer. This ensures a good coating for the paper / cardboard / molded fiber surface / textile surface, if necessary.8. Test water and oil resistance of the surface by adding a droplet to the paper / cardboard / molded fiber surface / textile surface. If it is not water resistant enough, consider spraying multiple coats and allowing to dry in between coats. However, at the end, apply an external crosslinking spray as a final finishing treatment and allow to dry. This adds extra crosslinking to improve water and oil resistance.

[0237] The spray mixture should not be cold. It should stay warm when spraying so that it is notthick coming out of the nozzle for smooth sprays. Low methoxyl / amidated low methoxyl pectin is too watery for textiles but gellan is still thick enough to stay on the surface. Of course, this may not be true for all fabrics. Adjustments can be made and more types of textiles need to be tested. For paper / cardboard / molded fiber spray applications, it is best that the surface is rough and uncoated for better adherence.

[0238] Allow the materials to dry before adding another coat. Then finalize with a mineral crosslinking spray. It is best to start with a lower concentration like 5 g calcium chloride / 100 mL water so that there is no cracking on the textile. For paper, 10 g calcium chloride / 100 mL water was acceptable. For higher water or oil resistance, the formula amounts need to be tweaked and other non- mineral crosslinkers can be added.

[0239] Wine tannin was used instead of phytic acid for the sprays for paper and textiles depicted in Figure 28 for visual purposes. It stains. It is also a cheaper alternative that works well with the low methoxyl / amidated low methoxyl pectin formulations.

[0240] One or more illustrative embodiments have been described by way of example. It will be understood to persons skilled in the art that a number of variations and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:1 . A method of manufacturing bioproducts sustainably, said method comprising: providing a first bioproduct containing a biopolymer; processing the first bioproduct to recover the biopolymer, said processing comprises contacting the first bioproduct with an extracting media and recovering the biopolymer, wherein the extracting media is an aqueous solution comprising an acid; and manufacturing a second bioproduct using the recovered biopolymer.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the acid is selected from any of citric acid, ascorbic acid, acetic acid and phytic acid.

3. The method according to claim 3, wherein processing the first bioproduct further comprises removing at least one protective layer before contacting the first bioproduct with the extracting media.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein processing the first bioproduct further comprises chopping the first bioproduct to multiple pieces for increasing the surface area exposure before contacting the first bioproduct with the extracting media.

5. The method according any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein recovering the biopolymer comprises heating the extracting media containing the first bioproduct to a temperature of at least about 70°C to about 90°C for a period of time.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the period of time is about 20 minutes to about 3 hours.

7. The method according to any one of claim 1 to 4, wherein recovering the biopolymer further comprises incubating the extracting media containing the first bioproduct at room temperature for a period of time.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the period of time is about 2 days to about 5 days.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the period of time is at least 5 days.

10. The method of claim 5 or 7, wherein the period of time is determined according to a degree of rigidity of the recovered biopolymer.11 . The method according to claim 10, wherein the degree of rigidity of the recovered biopolymer is determined qualitatively by the amount of shrinkage or swelling, qualitatively by a force applied onto the recovered biopolymer or quantitatively by determining a Young's modulus for the recovered biopolymer.

12. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 11 , wherein recovering the biopolymer further comprises filtering the biopolymer.

13. The method according of any one of claims 5 to 12, wherein recovering the biopolymer further comprises heating the filtered biopolymer in water for a period of time to dilute the acid and filtering the biopolymer.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the period of time is about 5 minutes to about 30 minutes.

15. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 12, wherein recovering the biopolymer further comprises incubating the filtered biopolymer in water for a period of time at room temperature to dilute the acid and filtering the biopolymer.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the period of time is about 15 minutes to about 1 day.

17. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein recovering the biopolymer further comprises heating the filtered biopolymer in an alkaline aqueous solution at a temperature of about 70°C to about 90°C for a period of time to obtain a recovered biopolymer.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the alkaline aqueous solution comprises potassium carbonate (K2CO3), sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) and / or sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3).

19. The method according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the period of time is about 2 minutes to about 15 minutes.

20. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 19, wherein the period of time is determined according to the solubility of the biopolymer in the alkaline aqueous solution such that the biopolymer is partially dissolved.

21. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 20, further comprising rinsing the recovered biopolymer with water.

22. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 21 , further comprising drying the recovered biopolymer for long-term storage.

23. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein the first bioproduct is a discarded product.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the discarded product is used or unused product.

25. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 24, wherein the first bioproduct comprises a plurality of protective layers.

26. The method according to of any one of claims 1 to 25, wherein manufacturing the second bioproduct comprises contacting the recovered biopolymer with a crosslinking media to obtain the second bioproduct.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the temperature of the crosslinking media is incubated up to 90°C.

28. The method according to claim 26 or 27, wherein the crosslinking media is a spray or dip solution that contacts the bioproduct after it is dried as a surface crosslinking enhancement treatment.

29. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 28, wherein the crosslinking media comprises one or more crosslinkers and at least one plasticizer.

30. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 28, wherein the crosslinking media may further comprise one or more additive.31 . The method according to claim 29, wherein the one or more crosslinkers are mineral crosslinkers.

32. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 31 , wherein contacting the recovered biopolymer with the crosslinking media comprises solubilizing the recovered biopolymer in the presence of a plasticizer to obtain a plasticized biopolymer.

33. The method according to claim 32, further comprising crosslinking the plasticized biopolymer by incubating the plasticized biopolymer with one or more crosslinker to obtain a plasticized crosslinked biopolymer.

34. The method according to claim 33, further comprising drying the plasticized crosslinked biopolymer to obtain the second bioproduct.

35. The method according to any one of claims 32 to 34, wherein solubilizing the recovered biopolymer comprises incubating the crosslinking media to a temperature of up to 90°C.

36. The method of any one of claims 32 to 35, wherein contacting the recovered biopolymer with a crosslinking media comprises crosslinking the plasticized biopolymer by incubating the plasticized biopolymer with one or more crosslinker to obtain a plasticized crosslinked biopolymer.

37. The method according to any one of claims 32 to 36, wherein contacting the recovered biopolymer with a crosslinking media comprises mixing one or more suitable additive with theplasticized biopolymer, the crosslinked biopolymer or the plasticized crosslinked biopolymer according to at least one desired property of the second bioproduct.

38. The method according to claim 37, further comprises drying the plasticized crosslinked biopolymer to obtain the second bioproduct.

39. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 38, wherein manufacturing the second bioproduct comprises forming a shape with the second bioproduct to obtain a shaped second bioproduct.

40. The method according to claim 39, further comprising drying the shaped second bioproduct to obtain a dried shaped second bioproduct.41 . The method according to claim 40, further comprising contacting the dried shaped second bioproduct with at least one biopolymer-containing media to form at least one biopolymercontaining protective layer.

42. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 41 , wherein the biopolymer is any of low acyl gellan gum, high acyl gellan gum, alginate, low methoxyl pectin, amidated low methoxyl pectin, konjac gum / glucomannan, or any combination thereof.

43. The method according to any one of claims 32 to 42, wherein the plasticizer is any of Glycerol, Xylitol, Mannose , Dextrose, Sucrose, Citric Acid / Food Safe Citrates, Magnesium Stearate, Alpha Tocopherol, Cinnamaldehyde Oil & Blends, Ginger Oil & Blends, Thyme Crystals / Oil & Blends, Sunflower Oil, Honey, Sorbitol, Innositol, Trehalose, Sugars and Syrups, Food Safe Deep Eutectic Solvents, Calcium Stearate , Food Safe Essential Oils, and any variant thereof or combination thereof.

44. The method according to claim 37, wherein the one or more suitable additive is a nonmineral crosslinker selected from a group consisting of an acid, polyphosphate, saponin, polyphenols, lectins, phenolic aldehydes, tannins, flavonoids, lignin, Phytic Acid, Tannins, Hesperidin, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Polyphosphates, Cinnamaldehyde, Alpha Tocopherol, Catechins, Naringin / Naringenin, Quercetin, Rutin, Guluronic Acid, Glucuronic Aci d / G I u coronate, Galacturonic Acid, Caffeic acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Vanillin, Genipin, Curcumin, Luteolin, Apigenin, Genestein, Myricetin , Kaempferol, Lignin, Allantoin, Lactobionic Acid, Biochanin A, Silymarin, Ellagic Acid, Alpha Arbutin, Salicin, Food grade phosphates / polyphosphates, polyphenols, phenolic aldehydes, catechin, gallic acid, flavonoids, Oxalic Acid, Malic Acid, Lectins, Magnolia Bark, Boswellic Acid, Licorice Root Extracts, and any combination thereof.

45. The method according to claim 37, wherein the one or more suitable additive is an emulsifier selected from the group consisting of Alpha Tocopherol, Agar Agar, Mucilage,Methylcellulose Gum, Xanthan Gum, Locust Bean Gum, Lecithin, Pullulan, Curdlan, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Plant-Based Emulsifying Waxes, and any combination thereof.

46. The method according to claim 37, wherein the one or more suitable additive is a lipid source selected from the group consisting of Beeswax, Rice Wax, Berry Wax, Carnauba Wax, Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil / Cinnamon Extracts, Alpha Tocopherol, Oregano Essential Oil, Thyme Essential Oil, Peppermint Essential Oil, Lavender Essential Oil, Ginger Essential Oil, Coconut Oil, Sunflower Oil, Vegetable Oil, Mango Butter, Avocado Butter, Coconut Butter, Magnesium Stearate, Calcium Stearate, Olivem, Squalane Oil, Lanolin, any variant thereof, and any combination thereof.

47. The method according to claim 37, wherein the one or more suitable additive comprises hydrophobic crystals such as menthol crystals and thymol crystals.

48. The method according to claim 37, wherein the one or more suitable additive comprises one or more food preservative such as Thyme crystals, Menthol crystals, Cinnamon extracts (Cinnamaldehyde), Lavender extracts, Ginger extracts, Alpha Tocopherol, Ascorbic Acid, Zinc Oxide, Catechin, Naringin, Apigenin, Astaxanthin, Hydroxycitric Acid, Azelaic Acid, Lycopene, Proanthocyanidin, Pterostilbene that can function as a preservative, any variant thereof and any combination thereof.

49. The method according to claim 37, wherein the one or more suitable additive comprises acids, bases, proteins, gums, mucilage sources, cellulose, lignin, other biopolymers, including keratin and chitosan, activated charcoal, clays, food colorants including powderized flowers, powderized seed / nut shells / rice hulls, sugars / polysaccharides, resins, starches, lipid sources, other food stabilizers, other additives in Table 1 , or any combinations thereof.

50. The method of claim 29, wherein the one or more crosslinker is magnesium stearate, calcium stearate, calcium tartrate, magnesium citrate, magnesium glycinate, magnesium hydroxide, zinc oxide, calcium lactate, calcium citrate, calcium chloride, calcium carbonate, calcium hydroxide, tricalcium phosphate, nacre / pearl powder, mineralized clays, other mineral crosslinkers in Table 1 , or any combinations thereof.

51. The method of claim 29, wherein the one or more crosslinker is phytic acid (phytates), food grade polyphosphates, food grade hexametaphosphates, tannins, hesperidin, other crosslinkers in Table 1 , any variant therefore combination thereof.

52. The method of claim 37, wherein at least one desired property is stability, texture, density, elasticity, durability, controlled dissolvability in water, colour, scent, taste (sweet / sour), water resistance, oil resistance, UV resistance, low gas / water vapour permeability, acid tolerance,freeze (-4°C) / steam / boil / heat tolerance, flame retardants, resistance or any other desirable property of a bioproduct such as a bioplastic, biocoating, or a biopaper.

53. The method of any one of claims 1 to 52, wherein the first bioproduct and the second bioproduct are the same or different.

54. The method of any one of claims 1 to 53, wherein the first bioproduct and the second bioproduct are biodegradable.

55. The method of any one of claims 1 to 54, wherein the first bioproduct and the second bioproduct are compostable.

56. The method of any one of claims 1 to 55, wherein the first bioproduct and the second bioproduct are safe for human consumption.

57. The method of any one of claims 1 to 56, wherein the first bioproduct and the second bioproduct are safe for human consumption in small quantities or is food contact safe.

58. The method of any one of claims 1 to 57, wherein the first bioproduct and / or the second bioproduct is any one of a paper alternative; a cardboard alternative; a plastic alternative (thermoplastic / thermoset / thermoformable) like pellets and an acrylic alternative; a water resistant, oil resistant, and / or flame retardant foam like closed-cell extruded / expanded polystyrene foam or alternative for similar but more flexible material; an absorbent pad alternative such as menstrual pad, diaper pad, adhesive bandage, meat and fish tray pad; a self-adhesive, rehydratable hydrocolloid bandage; a vinyl-like alternative such as a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) alternative; a vinyl foam alternative to EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate) like flip flop sandal soles; a leather or suede alternative; a staple and / or filament fiber for textiles; a water resistant, oil resistant, and / or flame retardant film; an elastic film; a sticky film / glue; a water resistant, oil resistant, and / or flame retardant layer / spray coating for textiles; a water resistant, oil resistant, and / or heat resistant layer / spray coating / dip coating / lining for paper / cardboard / molded fiber products; a water resistant, oil resistant, heat resistant, and / or flame retardant layer / spray coating / dip coating / lining for bioproducts, a flame retardant gel / layer / spray coating or dip coating; and / or a composite bioproduct comprising any combination thereof.

59. A bioproduct manufactured by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 58.

60. An apparatus configured to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 58.61 . A kit comprising the apparatus of claim 60, bioproducts and instructions on how to operate the apparatus using the bioproducts.

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