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The ocean covers ~71% of the Earth's surface, contains ~97% of the Earth's water, produces ~50% of the oxygen we breathe and is home to ~80% of all life forms. It's clear that life on land is intrinsically linked with life below water, and the health of the planet is dependent on the health of the ocean.
While there isn't a universally accepted definition of the term Blue Economy, the World Bank defines it as "the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs while preserving the health of the ocean ecosystem." A blue economy prioritizes the three pillars of sustainability: environmental, economic, and social.
The personal care industry is an early adopter of sustainable practices, consistently responding to growing environmental challenges. Within this context, the blue economy has emerged as a significant opportunity for developing high-quality, efficacious ingredients while minimizing environmental impact.
In support of this blue movement are circular processes such as upcycling—transforming by-products or waste materials into valuable resources. While often associated with land-based agriculture or food waste, upcycling is also influencing emerging marine industries. Aligning with the principles of the blue economy, circular systems provide the opportunity to further advance responsible production and consumption within personal care.
Farming algae or seaweed offers numerous environmental advantages over land-based agriculture. Scottish based OCEANIUM, develops innovative functional seaweed-based ingredients and materials to enhance People Health and Ocean Health. OCEANIUM describes seaweed "as a low-impact crop that requires no land, freshwater, or fertilizers, [it] plays a crucial role in mitigating the effects of climate change and supporting marine biodiversity."
Seaweed, in particular, absorbs large amounts of carbon dioxide during its growth, making it a natural carbon sink and a valuable natural resource for mitigating climate change.
According to OCEANIUM, algae or seaweed farming can also help to:
Algae and seaweed are harvested from marine farms as primary crops for food applications and nutritional supplements, biofuel production and cosmetic active or functional ingredient development. But rather than following the typical linear economy process of take-make-dispose, many marine biotech companies are designing systems that utilize 100% of the marine materials beyond their primary demand. This can include upcycling by-products and waste into additional applications. For example, residual biomass from algal oil extraction can be converted into pigments (e.g., phycocyanin) or bioactive compounds like polysaccharides, which can be used in anti-inflammatory and moisturizing skincare products.
On a mission to "build a big kelp economy for a low carbon future," US start-up Macro Oceans transforms kelp into high-performance marine bioactives and custom biomaterials for the beauty industry and beyond. Any seaweed leftovers that lack bioactive properties aren't wasted—instead, they're used for products like seaweed-based paper and plastic.
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Finnish company Origin by Ocean removes marine overgrowth, such as sargassum seaweed, from eutrophied shores, transforming it into functional ingredients for consumer products including food, cosmetics and packaging. Through a proprietary biorefining process, they valorize nearly 100% of the collected algae, extracting compounds like alginates and bioactives, while reducing waste.
Swedish Algae Factory harnesses the power of diatoms, a group of microalgae, to create extracts. Diatoms are known for their unique silica-based cell walls, which have naturally evolved to retain moisture, absorb nutrients and shield against pollution and UV radiation. Implementing a circular production process at their factory in Kungshamn, Sweden, the company cultivates diatoms using nutrient-rich effluent water from recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). This process purifies wastewater by absorbing carbon dioxide, nitrogen and phosphorus before it is transferred back into the food value chain. The extracted silica shells, branded as Algica®, are utilized as an active in personal care, but can also provide positive impact in other industrial applications such as solar panels, catalyst support and wound care. Meanwhile, the remaining organic biomass is repurposed as fish feed or fertilizer, creating a closed-loop production cycle.
As these examples show, circular principles can be built into biotech, supporting multiple industries and applications without over-reliance on harvesting primary crops or virgin resources.
Centered on circularity, material innovators are pushing boundaries as they upcycle unique materials from unlikely ocean origins. The seafood industry generates significant waste. It is estimated that 25-30% of fish by weight is discarded as waste during processing, including heads, skins, bones and viscera.
The Blue Economy presents an opportunity for the beauty and personal care industry to adopt regenerative practices. By REdesigning with circular principles, companies can maximize marine value while minimizing environmental impact. From closed-loop algae farming to upcycled seafood by-products, innovation is driving raw material solutions while promoting resource stewardship. As the need for transparency and responsible sourcing grows, the industry must continue to REthink its future in terms of circularity and the interconnectivity between life on land and life below the water.
👉 Discover marine-derived ingredients on Covalo for your upcoming formulations.
This article is part of our Blue Economy campaign. Check out our other Blue Economy content on our landing page!