MIT student turns fish waste into biodegradable plastic alternative
DMSE senior Jacqueline Prawira’s plastic alternative made from fish waste can be made into disposable items such as shopping bags, packaging and cutlery (Photo: MIT)
12 November 2025 – MIT student Jacqueline Prawira is developing plastic-like materials made from fishing-industry waste such as skin and bones. These biological feedstocks yield polymers that can be processed into thin films, shopping bags, packaging and disposable cutlery. The aim is to reduce the large flow of conventional plastics that barely degrade in the environment. In contrast, the new materials are designed to break down under natural conditions and fit better into ecological cycles. Prawira’s work was featured on a US television program devoted to environmental innovation and highlighted during Climate Week NYC. She is now working to further improve strength and flexibility, so the fish-waste plastics can be used in existing manufacturing lines with minimal modifications.
