Plastic pollution and packaging: Corporate commitments and actions from the food and beverage sector

Phelan, Anna; Meissner, Katie; Humphrey, Jacquelyn E.; Ross, Helen

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.129827

Cited by 97 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Therefore, food-packaging products result in a considerable and continuous source of domestic plastic waste. Plastic materials generally exhibit high chemical stability and inertness, both characteristics of interest in the packaging sector, but this, in turn, results in a high permanence and accumulation of their residues, thus rendering an environmental problem when they are not correctly managed [3][4][5]. In this regard, the plastic-pollution concern has led to authorities implementing restrictive policies and regulations for banning single-use products and bags [5,6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development and Characterization of Fully Renewable and Biodegradable Polyhydroxyalkanoate Blends with Improved Thermoformability

et al. 2022

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Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-valerate) (PHBV), being one of the most studied and commercially available polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), presents an intrinsic brittleness and narrow processing window that currently hinders its use in several plastic applications. The aim of this study was to develop a biodegradable PHA-based blend by combining PHBV with poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBH), another copolyester of the PHA family that shows a more ductile behavior. Blends of PHBV with 20% wt., 30% wt., and 40% wt. of PHBH were obtained by melt mixing, processed by cast extrusion in the form of films, and characterized in terms of their morphology, crystallization behavior, thermal stability, mechanical properties, and thermoformability. Full miscibility of both biopolymers was observed in the amorphous phase due to the presence of a single delta peak, ranging from 4.5 °C to 13.7 °C. Moreover, the incorporation of PHBH hindered the crystallization process of PHBV by decreasing the spherulite growth rate from 1.0 µm/min to 0.3 µm/min. However, for the entire composition range studied, the high brittleness of the resulting materials remained since the presence of PHBH did not prevent the PHBV crystalline phase from governing the mechanical behavior of the blend. Interestingly, the addition of PHBH greatly improved the thermoformability by widening the processing window of PHBV by 7 s, as a result of the increase in the melt strength of the blends even for the lowest PHBH content.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development and Characterization of Fully Renewable and Biodegradable Polyhydroxyalkanoate Blends with Improved Thermoformability

et al. 2022

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“…Plastic packaging continues, in recent years, to be the most significant industrial use in the world (representing, on average, 30% of the total) [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. Particularly, polymers, like polyethylene terephthalate, low-density polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene, and high-density polyethylene, were widely used as single-use packaging materials in the food and beverage industry because of their mechanical properties that could provide effective barriers to oxygen and carbon dioxide as well as their relative affordability and ease of availability [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fabrication of Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Chitosan Composite Films Strengthened with Titanium Dioxide and Polyphosphonate Additives for Packaging Applications

Vlad‐Bubulac¹,

Hamciuc²,

Rîmbu

et al. 2022

Gels

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Eco-innovation through the development of intelligent materials for food packaging is evolving, and it still has huge potential to improve food product safety, quality, and control. The design of such materials by the combination of biodegradable semi-synthetic polymers with natural ones and with some additives, which may improve certain functionalities in the targeted material, is continuing to attract attention of researchers. To fabricate composite films via casting from solution, followed by drying in atmospheric conditions, certain mass ratios of poly(vinyl alcohol) and chitosan were used as polymeric matrix, whereas TiO2 nanoparticles and a polyphosphonate were used as reinforcing additives. The structural confirmation, surface properties, swelling behavior, and morphology of the xerogel composite films have been studied. The results confirmed the presence of all ingredients in the prepared fabrics, the contact angle of the formulation containing poly(vinyl alcohol), chitosan, and titanium dioxide in its composition exhibited the smallest value (87.67°), whereas the profilometry and scanning electron microscopy enlightened the good dispersion of the ingredients and the quality of all the composite films. Antimicrobial assay established successful antimicrobial potential of the poly(vinyl alcoohol)/chitosan-reinforced composites films against Staphylococcus aureus, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans. Cytotoxicity tests have revealed that the studied films are non-toxic, presented good compatibility, and they are attractive candidates for packaging applications.

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“…The current COVID-19 pandemic also poses a challenge to JIT implementation. Further, the companies are facing difficulties in the recycling of multi-layer FP waste due to a lack of recycling facilities and infrastructure available in developing countries (Phelan et al. , 2022).…”

Section: Analysis and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Managerial perspectives on green-lean-six sigma adoption in the flexible packaging industry: empirical evidence from an emerging economy

Farrukh

Mathrani

Sajjad

2022

JMTM

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PurposeThis paper attempts to explore the green-lean-six sigma (GLSS) practices in the continuous process industry particularly in the flexible packaging (FP) industry in an emerging economy for addressing environmental sustainability issues.Design/methodology/approachThe authors have employed a qualitative multiple-case approach to examine managerial perspectives on GLSS adoption in the flexible packaging industry. Semi-structured interviews with senior corporate managers in two large FP organizations in Pakistan were conducted as the primary source of data collection.FindingsDrawing on the natural resource-based view (NRBV), the analysis revealed that organizations are implementing key GLSS practices such as environmental management system (ISO 14001), cause–effect analysis, renewable energy sources, total productive maintenance, and statistical process control to effectively manage waste, conserve resources, control air emissions, and improve environmental and workplace safety.Originality/valueThe authors argue that this is one of the first research studies that has utilized NRBV to investigate the application of the GLSS approach in the process industry, specifically in the FP industry in an emerging economy.

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Plastic pollution and packaging: Corporate commitments and actions from the food and beverage sector

Cited by 97 publications

References 48 publications

Development and Characterization of Fully Renewable and Biodegradable Polyhydroxyalkanoate Blends with Improved Thermoformability

Development and Characterization of Fully Renewable and Biodegradable Polyhydroxyalkanoate Blends with Improved Thermoformability

Fabrication of Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Chitosan Composite Films Strengthened with Titanium Dioxide and Polyphosphonate Additives for Packaging Applications

Managerial perspectives on green-lean-six sigma adoption in the flexible packaging industry: empirical evidence from an emerging economy

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