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Researchers have made a lab-scale biodegradable plastic using gelatin extracted from fish-waste cartilage—but not from whole fish guts and bones, and not from fish waste alone. The 2024 material also used silk-derived sericin and cellulose nanocrystals, among other ingredients. In burial tests, the researchers reported 85% degradation after 14 days; that result does not establish certified compostability or performance in other environments.
What the 2024 study actually made
The paper, published in Toxics on 24 June 2024, describes a particular bioplastic formulation made at laboratory scale. Its abstract says the researchers extracted gelatin from fish-waste cartilage and combined it with sericin obtained from silk cocoons and nano-reinforced cellulose crystals. It lists glycerol, vinegar, starch, sodium hydroxide and coloring agents among the other ingredients. The material was therefore not plastic made solely from fish waste, nor does the paper establish that whole fish guts and bones were turned directly into plastic. Read the paper’s PubMed record.
The authors report measuring gelatin content in the fish waste at 58.25%. This is a measurement reported for the waste used in their study, not a general composition figure for fish waste.
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Burial degradation
The researchers report 85% degradation after 14 days in burial experiments. The result applies to that study’s test conditions. The abstract does not establish standardized industrial or home compostability, behavior in soil generally, or degradation in marine environments. A single burial result should not be read as a certification or a guarantee of what happens after disposal.
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Strength and other measurements
The abstract says the team examined the material using FTIR, measured thickness and tested tensile strength. It prints the tensile-strength value with ambiguous units (“27.64 MPa/psi”), so that figure should not be treated as a reliable, unqualified strength specification. The abstract’s mention of possible packaging, containment and disposable-material uses describes potential applications, not demonstrated equivalence to conventional products.
Is it a greener replacement for conventional plastic?
The study shows a possible way to use fish-waste-derived gelatin in a new material. It does not, by itself, show that the material has a lower overall environmental impact than conventional plastic. The sources available do not establish a comparative life-cycle assessment, commercial-scale manufacturing, manufacturing economics, food-contact approval, shelf life, or standardized compostability for this formulation. Those are separate questions that would need evidence before calling it a practical or proven replacement.
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For any future claim about a fish-derived plastic, useful checks include the exact feedstock and formulation, the method and environment used for biodegradation tests, relevant certification, mechanical and moisture performance, food-contact status, and comparative life-cycle data. There are no verified commercial versions of this specific material established by the cited sources, so there is not enough evidence for a product comparison.
Other uses for fishing-industry by-products
Fish by-products are being explored for materials beyond this bioplastic, but those projects are distinct. The European Commission describes Gelatex Technologies OÜ using fish gelatin to make a leather-like nanofiber textile. It also describes work extracting gelatin, chitin and chitosan from fish skins, bones and other by-products for biomedical and textile applications. These examples do not show that the 2024 plastic is commercialized. European Commission overview, 7 August 2025.
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Separately, the European Commission’s Circular Cities and Regions Initiative says the EcoeFISHent project is developing products from fishing-industry waste, including gelatin for biodegradable and compostable food packaging. The initiative estimates that 7–10 million tonnes of commercial fisheries catches are discarded annually; that figure is the initiative’s estimate, not a result of the 2024 bioplastic study. European Commission project report, 3 February 2025.
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