Globally, it is estimated that approximately 6 to 8 million tons of crab shell waste (CSW) are produced each year. CSW contains valuable substances, including chitin, chitosan, proteins, and calcium carbonate, which can be extracted and utilized in a range of industries. CSW valorization aligns with circular economy principles, promoting resource recovery and reducing environmental impact. A large portion of crab shells are discarded in landfills or the oceans, which causes environmental pollution, health issues and ecological effects due to the lack of high-value utilization technology. Our research explores ways to convert crab shell waste into valuable products, such as bioplastics and materials for environmental remediation. The first step was to extract chitin (15.51%) and chitosan (13.63%) from the crab shell waste. Characterization of the extracted chitin and chitosan was determined by solubility content, fat-binding capacity, water-binding capacity, FTIR and SEM analysis. The next step was to use the extracted chitin and chitosan as biomaterials with the supportive material PEG to produce the value-added product bioplastic as an alternative to synthetic plastic. Simultaneous physicochemical characteristics, such as moisture content, water solubility, tensile strength with elongation break, and biodegradation abilities, were analyzed for the synthesized bioplastic. Thus, a new strategy for crab shell waste valorization to produce ecofriendly value-added products for commercial usage was attempted.
