Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Use of Alginates as Food Packaging Materials

This review covers the use of alginate-based materials as food packaging, examining how alginate films protect food from physical damage, oxidation, moisture, and microbial contamination. Alginates are highlighted as a natural, biodegradable polymer alternative that avoids the microplastic pollution associated with conventional synthetic food packaging.

2020 Foods 122 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

Starch-based edible packaging: rheological, thermal, mechanical, microstructural, and barrier properties – a review

This review examines starch-based edible packaging as an alternative to conventional plastic packaging, looking at how oils and nanoparticles can improve these biodegradable films. While not directly about microplastic health effects, replacing traditional plastic packaging with edible, plant-based materials could significantly reduce the amount of plastic waste that breaks down into microplastics. These alternatives could help decrease human exposure to microplastics from food packaging.

2024 Sustainable Food Technology 72 citations
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

An Overview of the Alternative Use of Seaweeds to Produce Safe and Sustainable Bio-Packaging

This review explores how compounds derived from seaweed, particularly polysaccharides like alginates and carrageenans, can be used to create biodegradable packaging as an alternative to conventional plastics. Researchers found that seaweed-based biopolymers offer both functional packaging properties and potential health benefits, while avoiding the microplastic pollution caused by petroleum-based plastics. The approach represents a promising step toward reducing ocean plastic contamination by replacing single-use plastics with marine-sourced biodegradable materials.

2022 Applied Sciences 102 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
Article Tier 2

Biocomposites and Poly(lactic acid) in Active Packaging: A Review of Current Research and Future Directions

This review examines how bio-based and biodegradable materials, especially polylactic acid (PLA), are being developed as sustainable alternatives for food packaging. While these materials aim to reduce petroleum-based plastic pollution, the review notes that biodegradable plastics can still break down into microplastics during their degradation process. Understanding the full lifecycle of these alternative materials is important for determining whether they truly reduce microplastic contamination.

2024 Polymers 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic materials used in the food industry, their influence on health, and potential solutions

This review examines how plastics used in food packaging gradually degrade into microplastics that leach into food and beverages, posing potential health risks to consumers. It surveys the main plastic types used in the food industry, the health concerns associated with microplastic and additive exposure, and proposed solutions including biodegradable alternatives. The findings underscore that everyday food packaging is a significant and underappreciated source of microplastic exposure for the general public.

2023 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Biomimetic Design of Biodegradable Polymer Films for Sustainable Food Packaging: Integrating Indigenous Material Wisdom with Modern Chemistry

This paper is not primarily about microplastic pollution; it describes the development of biodegradable food packaging films from biopolymers like chitosan and alginate as a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based plastics, with the goal of preventing microplastic generation at the source rather than studying existing contamination.

2026 International Journal of Applied and Behavioral Sciences
Article Tier 2

Materials

This paper reviews advances in nanocomposite and biopolymer-based food packaging materials, noting that microplastic pollution has been detected globally and is a recognized threat to ecosystem and human health. It briefly contextualises microplastics as a motivation for developing biodegradable packaging alternatives, though the primary focus is materials science rather than microplastics research per se.

2023
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable Sodium Alginate Films Enriched With Oils—A Review

This review examines how adding natural oils to biodegradable sodium alginate films can improve their performance as an alternative to conventional plastic packaging. Researchers found that essential oils enhance the films with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, extending the shelf life of packaged food. The approach offers a promising way to reduce reliance on petroleum-based plastics while maintaining food quality and safety.

2025 Packaging Technology and Science 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Role of microalgae as a sustainable alternative of biopolymers and its application in industries

Not a microplastics paper — this review examines the potential of algae-derived biopolymers (such as alginate, carrageenan, and polyhydroxyalkanoates) as biodegradable, eco-friendly replacements for petroleum-based plastics, highlighting their advantages but noting challenges for large-scale production.

2023 Plant Science Today 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Microalgae as a Source of Biopolymer - A Comprehensive Review

This review examines microalgae as a source of biopolymers for sustainable plastic alternatives, evaluating the potential of algae-derived materials to address the environmental and health harms caused by conventional plastic waste and microplastic pollution through biodegradable substitutes.

2022 Journal Of Biochemical Technology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Safely Dissolvable and Healable Active Packaging Films Based on Alginate and Pectin

Researchers developed active packaging films from alginate and pectin biocomposites that are safely dissolvable in water, self-healing, and exhibit mechanical properties comparable to commercial packaging films, offering a potential biodegradable alternative to petroleum-based plastics.

2019 Polymers 89 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

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

A Review of Recent Developments in Edible Films and Coatings-Focus on Whey-Based Materials

This review examines how edible films and coatings made from whey protein could serve as biodegradable alternatives to petroleum-based plastic packaging for food. By replacing conventional plastic wrapping, these materials could help reduce microplastic generation from food packaging, which is a significant source of human microplastic exposure.

2024 Foods 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable Packaging : a Key to Environmental Sustainability

This paper reviews biodegradable packaging alternatives to conventional plastics, arguing that plant-based materials can reduce microplastic pollution in oceans, soil, and food systems. The authors survey available materials and manufacturing methods as part of a broader case for environmental sustainability.

2024 International Association of Biologicals and Computational Digest
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

Present and future: the effects and possible solutions of microplastics in the marine/aquatic environment

This review examines the sources, ecological pathways, and health effects of microplastics in marine and aquatic environments, covering accumulation in gastrointestinal and immune tissues, biomagnification through food chains, and proposed mitigation strategies including production limits, pre-consumption gut removal, and biodegradable product substitution.

2022 2 citations