Materials for Food Packaging, Including a Focus on Biopolymers: Properties and Applications

K. K. Ojha

doi:10.37591/jopc.v11i1.7040

Abstract

The extensive usage of traditional plastics that are derived from petroleum is a major contribution to environmental deterioration because it is believed that these plastics will linger in the environment after being thrown away for hundreds of years beyond that time. There is a growing trend in today's society to promote the use of bioplastics as an option that is less harmful to the environment than polymers that are derived from petroleum. Bioplastics are human-made materials that are generated synthetically from biological matter. They are also known as biobased polymers or biodegradable polymers. A recently established area of study is investigating whether or not leftover food can be used as a source of raw material for the production of bioplastics. To date, the manufacturing of bioplastics has required the utilization of a wide variety of food scraps, in particular those that were generated through the processing of fruit- and vegetable-based goods. Fruits and vegetables that are thrown away, for example, have the potential to be recycled into valuable biomaterials through a variety of methods, some of which are simple while others are more complicated. Raw biomass, reinforced biopolymers, or biopolymers employed as reinforcing agents and/or natural fillers are the three possible starting points for the creation of biocomposites. Raw biomass can also be utilized as a starting point for the production of biocomposites. This article provides a summary of the findings of research carried out over the past 10 years on the topic of generating biomaterials from formulations that integrate both fruit and vegetable waste products. The subject of creating biomaterials from formulations was investigated in the research that was carried out. As a component of this research, investigations into the pretreatment, formulation, and processing of the materials, in addition to investigations into the mechanical and physical properties of the materials, will be carried out.