Biodegradable Packaging – An Eco-Friendly Approach

Ambrose, Dawn C.P.

doi:10.12944/carj.8.1.02

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…For these reasons, the use of environmentally friendly materials as alternatives to non-biodegradable plastic packaging is unavoidable. In recent years, edible as well as biodegradable non-plastic packaging films have been used as substitutes for standard plastics [ 14 ]. Biodegradable materials are usually made of biopolymers, which are regularly found in living organisms, such as cellulose and protein.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gelatin- and Papaya-Based Biodegradable and Edible Packaging Films to Counter Plastic Waste Generation

et al. 2022

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Most of the food packaging materials used in the market are petroleum-based plastics; such materials are neither biodegradable nor environmentally friendly and require years to decompose. To overcome these problems, biodegradable and edible materials are encouraged to be used because such materials degrade quickly due to the actions of bacteria, fungi, and other environmental effects. In this work, commonly available household materials such as gelatin, soy protein, corn starch, and papaya were used to prepare cost-effective lab-scale biodegradable and edible packaging film as an effective alternative to commercial plastics to reduce waste generation. Prepared films were characterized in terms of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), optical transparency, and tensile strength. FTIR confirmed the addition of papaya and soy protein to the gelatin backbone. WVTR of the gelatin-papaya films was recorded to be less than 50 g/m2/day. This water vapor barrier was five times better than films of pristine gelatin. The gelatin, papaya, and soy protein films exhibited transparencies of around 70% in the visible region. The tensile strength of the film was 2.44 MPa, which improved by a factor of 1.5 for the films containing papaya and soy protein. The barrier qualities of the gelatin and gelatin-papaya films maintained the properties even after going through 2000 bending cycles. From the results, it is inferred that the prepared films are ideally suitable for food encapsulation and their production on a larger scale can considerably cut down the plastic wastage.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gelatin- and Papaya-Based Biodegradable and Edible Packaging Films to Counter Plastic Waste Generation

et al. 2022

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“…Demand for packaging increased by about 5.2% year by year, reaching more than USD 300 billion in 2019 [1]. Packaging has become one of the most important items in the food industry because it is used to package food products to extend shelf-life and thus reduce food deterioration [2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Approximately, thousands of marine lives are threatened with extinction that indirectly reduced revenue for the fishing and tourism industries [11]. Nonbiodegradable packaging has a complex molecule, making it difficult for microorganisms to break down [2]. As consumer concern grows, they demand packaging that can be destroyed and decomposed naturally in the environment [12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Biodegradation refers to the ability of the material to undergo the defragmentation process during exposure to the natural environment with the help of microorganisms such as bacteria, algae, and fungi. The process cuts longer molecular compounds into smaller compounds, which causes the loss of mechanical properties or chemical modifications, resulting in the final products of carbon dioxide, water, inorganic carbon, and organic carbon [2][5] [10][16]- [17]. The physiological system of plant will absorb gases that are released during the process [18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Scientists discovered biodegradable packaging made of the natural or synthetic biodegradable polymer [13] to be the best alternative to plastic packaging. The biodegradable packaging consists of a biocomposite film that plays an important role in providing biodegradable properties, in which the film is moisture resistant and has an oxygen barrier to allow gases through the film [2] [14]. Furthermore, polymer resources are easily obtained [14] because starch, cellulose, and chitosan are commonly used.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Characterization of Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) as Antimicrobial Biocomposite Film: A Review

Yazik

Tukiran

2021

MJoSHT

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Packaging is a critical process in the food industry because it is used to prevent spoilage, extend shelf-life, and provide an attractive presentation of the food product. Plastic packaging is used all over the world, and its production is increasing year after year. It comes in a variety of colours and designs. However, it has caused serious environmental problems, particularly to the ocean that has become a place for discarded plastic packaging. To address this issue, biodegradable packaging was developed to replace the use of plastic packaging because it helps to reduce environmental impact and waste management costs. Biodegradable packaging is also known as environmentally friendly packaging because it can be degraded into carbon dioxide, water, inorganic compounds, and biomass by microorganisms, algae, fungi, as well as enzyme catalysts. Biodegradable biocomposite film such as starch, cellulose, chitosan, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is required to produce biodegradable packaging. Therefore, this paper aims to characterize PVA as a biocomposite film in biodegradable packaging. PVA has excellent properties to form films, as well as biodegradable, abundant in the environment, and cost-effective. However, it has some limitations in terms of thickness and mechanical properties; thus, the incorporation of PVA with essential oils and fiber is required to improve its mechanical properties, thickness, and provide antimicrobial properties to the packaging.

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