Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

An overview: exploring the potential of fruit and vegetable waste and by-products in food biodegradable packaging

Researchers reviewed how fruit and vegetable processing waste — rich in polyphenols, vitamins, and fiber — can be transformed into biodegradable food packaging films and coatings, offering an eco-friendly alternative to conventional plastic packaging. Repurposing food waste this way could simultaneously reduce plastic pollution (including microplastics from packaging degradation) and address agricultural waste disposal challenges.

2024 Discover Food 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring banana peels as a renewable source for bioplastic development

Despite its title referencing bioplastics, this paper studies the development of biodegradable films made from banana peel waste and corn starch — not microplastic pollution. It examines mechanical properties and biodegradability of these food-packaging alternatives, and while reducing conventional plastic use is relevant to microplastic prevention, the paper itself does not study microplastics.

2025 International Journal of Advanced Biochemistry Research 1 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

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

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

Impact of fish myofibrillar protein and apple pectin–konjac glucomannan on the physical, thermal, and micro-structural properties of biodegradable blend film

Despite its title referencing biodegradable film and biopolymers, this paper studies the physical and thermal properties of food packaging films made from fish protein, apple pectin, and konjac glucomannan — not microplastic pollution. It examines how varying protein concentration affects film mechanical performance and UV-blocking ability, and is not directly relevant to microplastics or human health.

2025 International Journal of Food Science & Technology 1 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

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

Development of Biodegradable Rigid Foams from Pineapple Field Waste

Not relevant to microplastics — this paper develops biodegradable rigid foam materials from pineapple agricultural waste (starch and cellulose) as a sustainable packaging alternative to petroleum-based plastics.

2023 Polymers 10 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

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

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

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 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

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

Separation and Characterization of Plastic Waste Packaging Contaminated with Food Residues

This paper is not directly about microplastic pollution impacts — it develops a processing technology to separate food residues from plastic packaging waste, producing a fraction of mixed microplastics as a byproduct, with the primary aim of improving plastic recyclability.

2023 Polymers 6 citations
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
Article Tier 2

Food packaging Bio-based plastics: Properties, Renewable Biomass resources, Synthesis, and Applications

This review covers bio-based plastics made from renewable biomass sources as alternatives to petroleum-based packaging, aiming to reduce plastic pollution and extend food shelf life. While bio-based plastics can reduce environmental impact at end of life, their behavior after disposal and whether they generate microplastics still requires careful evaluation.

2023 Proceedings of the Voronezh State University of Engineering Technologies
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

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

Corncob-derived biodegradable packaging films: A sustainable solution for raspberry post-harvest preservation

Researchers developed biodegradable packaging films from corncob waste that preserved raspberries significantly longer than conventional polystyrene packaging. The films biodegrade in soil within 29 days, offering a sustainable alternative that could reduce microplastic contamination from food packaging. This matters because plastic food packaging is a known source of microplastic and nanoplastic migration into food.

2024 Food Chemistry 19 citations