Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Valorization and Application of Fruit and Vegetable Wastes and By-Products for Food Packaging Materials

This review summarized recent research on converting fruit and vegetable processing waste into biopolymer-based food packaging materials, covering extraction of pectin, cellulose, and starch from by-products and their performance as biodegradable packaging films.

2021 Molecules 118 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring Agricultural and Industrial Fruit-Based Waste/By-products for Eco-friendly Multifunctional Bio-based Food Packaging and Coating Materials

Researchers reviewed how agricultural and industrial fruit waste — including peels, seeds, and pomace — can be converted into multifunctional bio-based food packaging materials with demonstrated antimicrobial, antioxidant, and shelf-life-extending properties, while identifying scalability and regulatory alignment as key barriers to widespread adoption.

2026 Food and Bioprocess Technology
Article Tier 2

Agro-Food Waste Valorization for Sustainable Bio-Based Packaging

This review examines how waste from food processing can be repurposed into biodegradable packaging materials as an alternative to conventional plastics. Researchers have developed films and coatings from fruit peels, grain husks, and other agricultural byproducts, though most solutions remain at the laboratory stage. Replacing traditional plastic packaging with these bio-based alternatives could help reduce the generation of microplastics that contaminate food and water supplies.

2024 Journal of Composites Science 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Use Of Organic Fruit Residues To Obtain Bioplastics

Researchers investigated the use of organic fruit waste as a raw material for producing bioplastics, exploring a range of fruit types and processing methods to develop petroleum-free alternatives to conventional single-use plastics. The review aligns bioplastic production from agricultural residues with circular economy principles and growing demand for environmentally friendly packaging solutions.

2024 MIGRATION LETTERS 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Biofilms Production from Avocado Waste

Researchers developed biofilms from starch and cellulose extracted from avocado peels and seeds as potential biodegradable food packaging materials. These plant-based packaging alternatives could replace petroleum-based plastics that break down into persistent microplastics.

2021 Ingenieria y Universidad 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Natural Polymeric Materials: A Solution to Plastic Pollution from the Agro-Food Sector

This review examined biopolymer materials derived from fruit and vegetable food waste — including starch, cellulose, and protein-based polymers — as replacements for petroleum-derived food packaging plastics, discussing extraction processes, material properties, and sustainability advantages.

2021 Polymers 149 citations
Article Tier 2

Potentials of Berry Fruits Pomaces for Bio-Based Films

This paper is not directly about microplastic pollution. It investigates using berry fruit pomace waste to create biodegradable bioplastic films as an alternative to conventional plastic packaging. While replacing conventional plastics with biodegradable alternatives could reduce future microplastic generation, the study itself focuses on food packaging material development rather than microplastic contamination.

2023 International Journal of Innovative Approaches in Agricultural Research 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Innovative Packaging Solutions from Agri-food Wastes and By-products

This review examined biodegradable bio-packaging materials derived from agri-food wastes as alternatives to petrochemical plastics, covering their preparation, properties, and use in food industries. While bio-packaging reduces microplastic accumulation and carbon footprint, the authors noted ongoing challenges in mechanical performance and cost.

2025
Article Tier 2

Investigating the characteristics of carboxymethyl cellulose film as a possible material for green packaging

Researchers developed biodegradable carboxymethyl cellulose films from agricultural waste as a potential sustainable alternative to conventional plastic food packaging. Replacing single-use plastics with biodegradable packaging is directly relevant to reducing the source of microplastic pollution, as conventional packaging is a major contributor to plastic fragmentation in the environment.

2023 GSC Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences 7 citations
Clinical Trial Tier 1

Development of Biodegradable Films from Carrot, Guava, and Banana Peel Fibers for Environmental Packaging Applications

Despite its classification in this database, this study develops biodegradable packaging films from fruit and vegetable fibers rather than investigating microplastic pollution directly. Films made from 60% guava fiber with 1.8% alginate showed the best mechanical properties and highest soil degradation rate, offering a potential alternative to conventional plastic packaging.

2025 Journal of Environmental & Earth Sciences
Article Tier 2

A Comprehensive Review of Biodegradable Polymer-Based Films and Coatings and Their Food Packaging Applications

This review covers the development of biodegradable polymer-based films and coatings as alternatives to conventional plastic food packaging. While these bio-based materials reduce long-term environmental pollution, the review notes that they can still break down into microplastic particles under certain conditions. The shift to biodegradable packaging may reduce but not eliminate the food packaging contribution to microplastic pollution and human exposure.

2022 Materials 221 citations
Article Tier 2

From Fruit Waste to Hydrogels for Agricultural Applications

Not relevant to microplastics — this study develops biodegradable hydrogels from fruit waste (pectin and starch) to reduce water loss and slow herbicide migration in sandy agricultural soils, without any connection to plastic pollution.

2023 Clean Technologies 14 citations
Article Tier 2

A Review on Replacing Food Packaging Plastics with Nature-Inspired Bio-Based Materials

Researchers reviewed bio-based materials inspired by nature as sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based food packaging plastics. The study highlights that while conventional plastic packaging is effective for food preservation, its environmental impact has driven research into biodegradable and compostable alternatives that could reduce plastic waste and microplastic generation.

2025 Foods 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable and edible film: A counter to plastic pollution

This paper reviews biodegradable and edible films as alternatives to conventional plastic packaging in the food industry, which contributes a major share of global plastic waste. While not a complete solution, these alternative materials could meaningfully reduce plastic pollution if adopted more widely in food packaging applications.

2020 International Journal of Chemical Studies 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Valorization of Cork Stoppers, Coffee-Grounds and Walnut Shells in the Development and Characterization of Pectin-Based Composite Films: Physical, Barrier, Antioxidant, Genotoxic, and Biodegradation Properties

Researchers developed biodegradable composite films using pectin combined with waste materials from cork stoppers, coffee grounds, and walnut shells as a sustainable alternative to plastic packaging. The films showed antioxidant properties, were non-genotoxic, and biodegraded effectively in both soil and seawater within weeks. The study demonstrates that food industry and agricultural waste can be repurposed into functional, environmentally friendly packaging materials.

2024 Polymers 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential use of plant leaves and sheath as food packaging materials in tackling plastic pollution: A Review

This review examines research into using plant leaves and sheaths as biodegradable food packaging materials to reduce plastic pollution. Researchers found that considerable progress has been made in demonstrating the feasibility of plant-based packaging, though large-scale production and commercial application remain challenging. The study suggests that plant-derived packaging materials hold significant economic potential as environmentally friendly alternatives to single-use plastics.

2024 Ceylon Journal of Science 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Advancements in the biopolymer films for food packaging applications: a short review

This review covers advances in biodegradable biopolymer films being developed to replace conventional plastic food packaging, which breaks down into microplastics that contaminate soil and water. While these plant-based alternatives show promise for reducing microplastic pollution, they still need improvements in strength and durability before they can compete with conventional plastics at commercial scale.

2024 Biotechnology for Sustainable Materials 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable biopolymers for active packaging: demand, development and directions

This review examines how biodegradable biopolymers can be used for active food packaging, addressing both plastic waste and food waste challenges while meeting industry demand for sustainable packaging solutions.

2022 Sustainable Food Technology 172 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent Advance in Biodegradable Packaging from Banana Plant Feedstock: A Comprehensive Review

This review synthesizes recent advances in biodegradable packaging derived from banana plant waste, examining how banana-derived biopolymers can be transformed into eco-friendly packaging solutions for the food industry. Researchers found that banana waste offers versatile biopolymer sources enabling flexible packaging designs with lower environmental impact than fossil fuel-derived materials, though challenges in scalability and economic feasibility remain barriers to widespread adoption.

2024 ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development
Article Tier 2

Sustainable biodegradable coatings for food packaging: challenges and opportunities

This review looks at biodegradable coatings made from both bio-based and petroleum-based materials as alternatives to traditional plastic food packaging. These sustainable coatings aim to reduce plastic waste while still protecting food, though challenges remain in matching the performance of conventional plastic packaging.

2024 Green Chemistry 200 citations
Article Tier 2

Bio-based and Sustainable Food Packaging Technology: Relevance, Challenges and Prospects

A review assessed bio-based and sustainable food packaging technologies, evaluating their relevance as replacements for conventional plastic packaging that generates microplastic pollution. The study identifies the most promising materials and the barriers to scaling up plastic-free food packaging.

2025 Journal of Biomaterials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

From Fields to Films: Exploring Starch from Agriculture Raw Materials for Biopolymers in Sustainable Food Packaging

This review explored how starch extracted from agricultural crops can be used to create biodegradable packaging films as alternatives to conventional plastics. The study surveys different starch sources and processing methods, highlighting the potential for plant-based biopolymers to reduce the food-packaging industry's heavy reliance on fossil fuel-derived plastics.

2024 Agriculture 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Upcycling the Banana Industry in Ecuador: A Methodology to Estimate Organic Waste Availability and a Catalogue of Potential Biodegradable Products

This Ecuadorian study assessed the availability of banana plant waste and evaluated its potential for making biodegradable products as alternatives to plastic packaging. Developing renewable, biodegradable packaging from agricultural byproducts could reduce the plastic waste that eventually degrades into microplastics.

2023 International Journal on Advanced Science Engineering and Information Technology 1 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

A Review on Biopolymer-Based Biodegradable Film for Food Packaging: Trends over the Last Decade and Future Research

This systematic review explores biodegradable packaging made from natural materials like starch and proteins as alternatives to conventional plastics. Reducing plastic packaging is important because traditional plastics break down into microplastics that contaminate food and the environment.

2023 Polymers 138 citations