into plasticised films. Plasticisers typically as glycerol can make the processed chitosan or alginate films flexible. Chitosan is a studied biopolymer that can be used as a packaging alternative that increases shelf life and reduces the use of synthetic plastics. Chitosan is a polysaccharide that is obtained through the deacetylation of chitin, the second most abundant polysaccharide on Earth derived from the non-edible portions of marine invertebrates. The increased use of chitosan has the possibility to reduce food waste and the waste from food packaging. Chitosan is compiled of antimicrobial activities and film forming properties which make it biodegradable and deter growth of spoilage. In comparison to degrading synthetic plastics, that may take years, biopolymers such as chitosan can degrade in weeks. Antimicrobial packaging includes techniques such as modified atmospheric packaging that reduce activities of microbes and bacterial growth. Chitosan as an alternative promotes less food waste and less reliance on non-degradable plastic materials. Protein-based plastics Bioplastics can be made from proteins from different sources. For example, wheat gluten and casein show promising properties as a raw material for different biodegradable polymers. Additionally, soy protein is being considered as another source of bioplastic. Soy proteins have been used in plastic production for over one hundred years. For example, body panels of an original Ford automobile were made of soy-based plastic. There are difficulties with using soy protein-based plastics due to their water sensitivity and relatively high cost. Therefore, producing blends of soy protein with some already-available biodegradable polyesters improves the water sensitivity and cost. Some aliphatic polyesters The aliphatic biopolyesters are mainly polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) like the poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), polyhydroxyvalerate (PHV) and polyhydroxyhexanoate (PHH). Polylactic acid (PLA) Polylactic acid (PLA) is a transparent plastic produced from maize or dextrose. Superficially, it is similar to conventional petrochemical-based mass plastics like PS. Its advantages are that it is derived from plants and it biodegrades readily. Unfortunately, it exhibits inferior impact strength, thermal robustness, and barrier properties (blocking air transport across the membrane). PLA and PLA blends generally come in the form of granulates. PLA is used on a limited scale for the production of films, fibers, plastic containers, cups, and bottles. PLA is also the most common type of plastic filament used for home fused deposition modeling. Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate The biopolymer poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a polyester produced by certain bacteria processing glucose, corn starch or wastewater. Its characteristics are similar to those of the