However, cost is currently a prohibitive issue to widespread use, the researchers said. While petroleum is readily available to siphon from the ground, widespread infrastructure for algae farming will be needed for plastics made of the bio-based polymer to become used en masse, Burkart said.

However, the process the researchers devised can also be applied to other plant-based material, Burkart said.

The researchers hope their new process can eventually be implemented widely for food packaging, Pomeroy said.

"But if you're going to ask me, 'Could we do this with anything?' I'm pretty sure we could do this with most anything," he said.

Sounds like an economy of scales problem, and the scale isn't there. Fixable, but not great.