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Towards a Circular Economy for Plastic Food Packaging: Wear Assessment of Polyethylene Terephthalate
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This study examined how repeated industrial washing affects the surface condition and cleanability of recycled PET food packaging trays, finding no significant roughness increase after 20 wash cycles. However, artificially roughened surfaces retained more food residue, and UV fluorescence imaging outperformed ATP assays for detecting contamination, supporting its use in evaluating reusable packaging hygiene.
The increasing utilization of single-use plastics in the food sector poses serious environmental challenges. A circular economy approach, i.e., reusing packaging before recycling, offers a promising solution but raises concerns about cross-contamination between food products. This study investigates how repeated use and cleaning affect the surface topography of plastic food packaging and, in turn, how these changes influence cleaning efficiency and assessment. Recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) trays were subjected to 20 industrial wash cycles with and without detergent concentration of 0.3% v/v at the following temperatures: 55 °C wash, 70 °C rinse. Surface roughness was measured using mechanical and optical techniques. Additionally, trays were roughened with sandpaper of varying grit sizes to simulate mechanical wear during consumer use. Cleanability was assessed using UV fluorescence imaging and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) assays. Results showed no significant increase in surface roughness after 20 wash cycles. However, artificially roughened surfaces retained more food residue, complicating cleaning. The application of UV fluorescence imaging proved more effective than ATP assays in detecting food residues on textured surfaces. These findings support the use of advanced imaging for evaluating the hygiene of reusable packaging and highlight key considerations for implementing circular reuse systems in food packaging.
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Feasibility of Recycled Polypropylene for Reusable Food Packaging: Effects of Reuse Conditions on Packaging Performance, Material Properties, and Microbial Safety
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Recycled post-industrial polypropylene (PIR PP) subjected to 20 cycles of oven heating and dishwashing performed comparably to virgin PP in mechanical properties and microbial safety, showing no significant degradation. This matters for microplastic research because it suggests well-characterized recycled packaging does not shed more plastic particles under reuse stress than virgin material, supporting circular economy packaging strategies.
Changes in the Chemical Composition of Polyethylene Terephthalate under UV Radiation in Various Environmental Conditions.
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Researchers exposed polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to UV radiation under controlled humidity conditions and tracked changes in its chemical composition, finding progressive oxidation and chain scission that alter the polymer's surface properties. Understanding how PET degrades under UV exposure is important for predicting how PET microplastics form and what chemical changes make them more or less bioavailable.
Wettability after Artificial and Natural Weathering of Polyethylene Terephthalate
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Researchers systematically studied how artificial and natural weathering of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) changes its surface wettability, finding that contact angle measurements combined with FTIR analysis can reliably track the progression of plastic degradation in aquatic environments.
Unexpected possible consequences of plastic packaging reuse
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Researchers warn that reusing plastic food packaging — promoted as an environmentally friendly alternative to single-use plastics — may carry hidden risks, as repeated washing, mechanical stress, and aging can cause plastics to leach more chemicals and shed more microplastic particles into food. This raises important questions about whether reuse policies designed to cut plastic waste may inadvertently increase chemical and microplastic exposure through food contact.
Investigating the Physicochemical Property Changes of Plastic Packaging Exposed to UV Irradiation and Different Aqueous Environments
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Researchers investigated UV-driven degradation of polypropylene and PET packaging materials under different aqueous conditions, finding that UV exposure caused significant physicochemical changes including increased crystallinity and surface cracking that contribute to microplastic formation.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.