Papers

61,005 results
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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

Seaweed Polysaccharide in Food Contact Materials (Active Packaging, Intelligent Packaging, Edible Films, and Coatings)

This review examines how seaweed-based polysaccharides are being developed as alternatives to conventional plastics for food packaging applications, including active packaging, intelligent packaging, and edible coatings. Researchers found that these natural materials can extend food shelf life by providing antimicrobial and antioxidant properties while being biodegradable. The study highlights seaweed polysaccharides as a promising sustainable alternative to petroleum-based plastic packaging in the food industry.

2021 Foods 111 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

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

Eco-Friendly Biopolymers Shaping Sustainable Food Packaging

This review examines seaweed-derived biopolymers—particularly alginates and carrageenans—as materials for sustainable food packaging, covering their properties, processing methods, and performance as barriers to moisture and gases. It evaluates their potential to replace petroleum-based plastics and their degradation profiles under real-world conditions.

2025
Article Tier 2

Marine Biopolymers: Applications in Food Packaging

This review examined the use of marine-derived biopolymers such as proteins and polysaccharides for food packaging applications. The study suggests that these biodegradable materials could significantly reduce reliance on conventional plastic packaging, offering environmental and economic benefits while improving the shelf life of packaged foods.

2021 Processes 78 citations
Article Tier 2

Eco-Friendly Bioplastic Material Development Via Sustainable Seaweed Biocomposite

Researchers developed a seaweed-based bioplastic film using Gracilaria edulis algae combined with starch, glycerol, and chitosan. The resulting material showed mechanical properties comparable to starch-based commercial plastics, good biodegradability, and compostability, and showed potential for use in low-moisture food packaging. This work contributes to the effort to replace petroleum-based plastics with renewable alternatives that break down in the environment rather than persisting as microplastic pollution.

2023 Ecological Chemistry and Engineering S 8 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 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

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

Evolution of biobased and nanotechnology packaging – a review

This review traces the evolution of bio-based and nanotechnology food packaging, covering material advances, barrier properties, and end-of-life considerations. It discusses how conventional synthetic packaging contributes to marine microplastic pollution and how biodegradable bio-based alternatives could reduce this impact.

2020 Nordic Pulp & Paper Research Journal 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable Polymers: The Future of Sustainable Plastic Alternatives

This review examines biodegradable polymers as sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics, evaluating their potential to reduce microplastic pollution and ecological degradation. The authors assess the performance, environmental fate, and scalability of current biodegradable materials, identifying key challenges for widespread adoption across packaging and consumer product applications.

2025 Scriptora International Journal of Research and Innovation (SIJRI)
Review Tier 2

A Review of Potency of Cassava Peel Waste and Seaweed Carrageenan as Environmentally Friendly Bioplastic

This Indonesian review examines the potential of cassava peel waste and seaweed carrageenan as raw materials for making biodegradable bioplastics. Replacing conventional plastic packaging with plant-based alternatives could reduce the microplastic particles that accumulate in soil and water from degrading conventional plastics.

2023 International Journal of Hydrological and Environmental for Sustainability 2 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

Seaweed-based films for sustainable food packaging: properties, incorporation of essential oils, applications, and future directions

This review analyzed seaweed-based films for sustainable food packaging, covering their mechanical and barrier properties, the incorporation of essential oils for antimicrobial activity, and applications across different food commodities.

2023 Potravinarstvo Slovak Journal of Food Sciences 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable Packaging Materials for Foods Preservation: Sources, Advantages, Limitations, and Future Perspectives

This review examines biodegradable packaging materials derived from natural sources as alternatives to conventional petroleum-based plastics for food preservation. Researchers found that materials made from polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids can effectively extend food shelf life while being more environmentally friendly. The study acknowledges that cost and performance limitations remain, but highlights recent advances in combining these natural materials with antimicrobial and antioxidant agents to improve their practical viability.

2023 Coatings 87 citations
Article Tier 2

Initial Properties Identification of Refined- and Semi Refined-Carrageenans as Raw Materials for Biodegradable Plastic Production

Researchers characterized two types of carrageenan — a natural polymer derived from seaweed — as potential raw materials for making biodegradable bioplastics. The study assessed their physical and chemical properties, finding them promising alternatives to petroleum-based plastics that could help reduce microplastic pollution.

2021 SQUALEN Bulletin of Marine and Fisheries Postharvest and Biotechnology 8 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Developing the Use of Wool Rope within Aquaculture—A Systematic Review

This systematic review explores whether wool rope could replace plastic rope in seaweed aquaculture, reducing plastic pollution in marine environments. The research is directly relevant to microplastic concerns because conventional plastic ropes used in ocean farming gradually break down into microplastic particles that contaminate marine ecosystems and the seafood we eat.

2022 Sustainability 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Novel seaweed-based bioplastic: A prospective Life Cycle Assessment

This PhD thesis uses life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the environmental impacts of making bioplastic from brown seaweed. Seaweed-based bioplastics could offer a lower-impact alternative to conventional plastics, potentially reducing the generation of persistent microplastics in the environment.

2023 2 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

Contribution of seaweed farming to the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and microplastics pollution

Researchers reviewed how seaweed farming can help fight two major environmental problems: seaweed absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere without competing for agricultural land, and seaweed-derived polymers can be used to make biodegradable plastics that break down without generating persistent microplastics. Scaling up seaweed-based bioplastics remains limited by production costs, but the potential environmental benefits make further research worthwhile.

2024 Algal Research 7 citations
Review Tier 2

Current trends in biopolymers for food packaging: a review

This review covers the latest developments in biopolymer-based food packaging, including biodegradable films, edible coatings, and active or smart packaging systems. Researchers found that while these sustainable alternatives show promise, they still face challenges in matching the moisture, heat, and barrier properties of conventional petroleum-based plastics. The study highlights ongoing efforts to improve these materials so they can realistically replace traditional plastic packaging.

2023 Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 130 citations
Article Tier 2

Rehashing Our Insight of Seaweeds as a Potential Source of Foods, Nutraceuticals, and Pharmaceuticals

This review summarizes research on seaweed as a source of beneficial compounds including antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents, and other health-promoting substances. While not directly about microplastics, the research is relevant because seaweeds grow in marine environments increasingly contaminated with microplastics. Understanding the health benefits of seaweed also requires considering the potential risks of microplastic contamination in these marine food sources.

2023 Foods 38 citations