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Comprehensive overview of sustainable food packaging material alternatives
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This review provides a comprehensive overview of alternative packaging materials being developed to replace conventional plastics, including biodegradable plastics, cellulose, bamboo, edible packaging, and nano-cellulose. Researchers found that recycling plastics and producing bioplastics have not yet proven to be fully effective solutions, and the environmental impact of many alternatives remains unclear. The study notes that while no single alternative can fully replace plastic packaging, emerging materials show promise for reducing environmental impact and waste.
The proliferation of plastic packaging materials and their accumulation as significant amounts of waste raises serious ecological concerns affecting humanity and the natural environment. New alternative packaging materials, including biodegradable and sustainable options, are being explored to address these concerns. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the literature on alternative packaging materials. This study covers biodegradable plastics, sustainable alternatives (Cellulose, Bamboo) and emerging packaging forms (edible packaging, nano-cellulose). SWOT analysis and cross-tabulation have been used to facilitate a comparative assessment of alternatives with plastic. The results show that recycling plastics or the production of bioplastics has not proven to be an effective solution. The environmental impact of sustainable and biodegradable packaging remains unclear. In addition, new materials (edible packaging materials, nano-cellulose fibres) are currently being tested that could reduce environmental impacts and waste. No alternative can fully replace plastic packaging, but new initiatives are promising.
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Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.