We're excited to announce an upcoming guest seminar featuring our colleague Dr. Karina Balina, a PhD in Environmental Engineering. She will share her expertise on the captivating topic of "Balancing Ecology and Economy: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Insights into Algae-Based Industries" at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research on October 5th at 10:00 AM. The seminar will aim to disseminate project findings and foster discussions on sustainable packaging and biomaterials.
Karina Balina's current research revolves around evaluating the environmental sustainability of biorefinery concepts and production chains. Her profound knowledge and practical insights into the ecological aspects of industrial processes, particularly those related to algae-based industries, make her an experienced specialist in the field.
The seminar will be organised as a part of the project "Life Cycle Assessment of land-based seaweed cultivation for packaging material". The primary objective of this project is to quantify the environmental footprint associated with the cultivation of Ulva in land-based cultivation ponds and assess its environmental viability for the production of packaging materials. The project will employ LCA methodologies to analyze the entire production chain, from cultivation to product development at the laboratory scale.
Key project activities are taking place at various institutions, including the University of Latvia, the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, and the Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences. These activities include co-mentoring a Master's student on macroalgae cultivation, conducting environmental impact assessment, knowledge exchange through visits between Latvian and German institutions, data collection for LCA, and the utilization of project results for academic publications and Master's thesis development.
The LCA assessment of macroalgae cultivation for packaging production will provide vital data on the environmental impact of this study and contribute to understanding the sustainability of the cultivation process. Additionally, the project outcomes will be of interest to the sustainable packaging and biomaterials industry as well as macroalgae cultivation researchers across Europe.
This Baltic-German University Liaison Office project is supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) with funds from the German Federal Foreign Office.