Converting Food Waste into Compostable Stretch Wrap

This thesis explores the use of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolymers for the production of flexible thin films. It encompasses the conversion of waste potatoes into glucose via enzymatic hydrolysis, followed by bacterial fermentation to produce PHAs and downstream recovery methods to extract them. Finally, PHA materials are blended with biodegradable polymers and processed via cast film extrusion. The resulting films are characterized for mechanical and thermal performance, alongside nanoscale structural analysis. This work demonstrates an integrated bio-refinery approach to sustainable, compostable bioplastic films from food waste, and probes the nanoscale functions which govern polymer synthesis in bacteria.