Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Cellulose-Based Conductive Materials for Energy and Sensing Applications

This review covers conductive materials made from cellulose, a natural plant-based polymer, for use in batteries, sensors, and wearable electronics. While not directly about microplastics, the research is relevant because cellulose-based materials are biodegradable alternatives to plastic components in electronics, which eventually break down into microplastics. Developing sustainable materials like these could help reduce the flow of plastic waste into the environment.

2023 Polymers 49 citations
Review Tier 2

A Review on the Modification of Cellulose and Its Applications

This review summarizes recent advances in cellulose modification techniques and applications, including its use as a sustainable alternative to synthetic polymers. The study discusses how modified cellulose materials could help address plastic pollution by providing biodegradable substitutes for conventional plastic products.

2022 Polymers 417 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanocellulose as Sustainable Bio-Nanomaterial for Packaging and Biomedical Applications

This review examines the potential of nanocellulose, a material derived from plant fibers, as a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics in packaging and biomedical applications. Researchers found that nanocellulose can provide effective moisture and gas barriers when used in paper-based packaging, reducing the need for plastic coatings. The study highlights nanocellulose as a biodegradable, renewable material that could help address both plastic waste and food preservation challenges.

2024 Scientific and Social Research 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Renewable cellulosic nanocomposites for food packaging to avoid fossil fuel plastic pollution: a review

Researchers reviewed how cellulose nanoparticles extracted from plant biomass can replace petroleum-based plastics in food packaging, finding that adding just 1–5% cellulose nanoparticles significantly improves strength, reduces oxygen and water vapor permeability, and keeps packaging biodegradable. The review positions cellulose nanocomposites as a scalable, eco-friendly alternative to fossil-fuel plastics that contribute to microplastic pollution.

2020 Environmental Chemistry Letters 222 citations
Review Tier 2

Greening Fused Deposition Modeling: A Critical Review of Plant Fiber-Reinforced PLA-Based 3D-Printed Biocomposites

This review covers advances in 3D printing with plant fiber-reinforced PLA (a biodegradable plastic), examining how natural cellulose fibers can strengthen printed materials while reducing reliance on petroleum-based plastics. While not directly about microplastic health effects, the development of biodegradable alternatives to conventional plastics is relevant to reducing the microplastic pollution that enters the environment and human body.

2025 Fibers 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Biotechnology in Food Packaging Using Bacterial Cellulose

This review explores bacterial cellulose as a biodegradable, biocompatible alternative to conventional plastic food packaging, which contributes to micro- and nanoplastic pollution that threatens both the environment and human health. While bacterial cellulose shows strong potential due to its mechanical strength and food preservation abilities, scaling up production remains a challenge due to higher costs and manufacturing difficulties.

2024 Foods 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Applications of regenerated bacterial cellulose: a review

This review examines bacterial cellulose as a sustainable alternative to synthetic polymers that contribute to microplastic pollution. Bacterial cellulose is biodegradable, renewable, and has strong mechanical properties, making it suitable for packaging, textiles, and biomedical applications. The study highlights recent advances in processing techniques that could make bacterial cellulose more commercially viable as a replacement for plastics in everyday products.

2024 Cellulose 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Advancements in Cellulose-Based Superabsorbent Hydrogels: Sustainable Solutions across Industries

This review explores how cellulose-based superabsorbent materials, made from sustainable plant sources, are being developed as eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic hydrogels for use in agriculture, medicine, and pollution control. These biodegradable materials could help reduce the growing microplastic problem caused by conventional synthetic hydrogels that break down into persistent plastic fragments in the environment.

2024 Gels 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Sustainable biomaterials based on cellulose, chitin and chitosan composites - A review

Researchers reviewed advances in making sustainable composite materials from cellulose, chitin, and chitosan — abundant natural polymers found in plants and shellfish — as biodegradable alternatives to synthetic plastics that contribute to microplastic pollution. The review covers how these biopolymers can be dissolved and combined into fibers, films, and gels for a wide range of environmentally friendly applications.

2021 Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications 117 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecological packaging: Creating sustainable solutions with all-natural biodegradable cellulose materials

Researchers developed a pure cellulose food packaging material by combining bacterial cellulose and ethyl cellulose — both natural, biodegradable materials — into a strong, water-resistant film that degrades naturally and avoids the microplastic pollution associated with conventional single-use plastic packaging. The material's mechanical strength, water resistance, and recyclability position it as a practical plastic replacement for food packaging.

2024 Giant 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Cellulose-Based Aerogels for Environmentally Sustainable Applications: A Review of the Production, Modification, and Sorption of Environmental Contaminants

This review explores how aerogels made from cellulose, a natural plant-based material, can be used to filter pollutants including microplastics from water and soil. While cellulose aerogels are promising because they are biodegradable and come from renewable sources, they need chemical modifications to work effectively in water treatment applications.

2025 Polymers 20 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

Cellulose Nanopaper: A Study of Composition and Surface Modifications to Develop Sustainably-Sourced Alternatives to Plastics

This study developed cellulose nanopaper — derived from wood pulp — with surface modifications to improve its properties as a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based plastic packaging films. The research addresses the need for biodegradable packaging materials that reduce the plastic waste that becomes microplastic contamination.

2017 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Bacterial cellulose biopolymers: The sustainable solution to water-polluting microplastics

Researchers developed bacterial cellulose (BC) biopolymer filters as a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based polymer filters used in wastewater treatment plant microplastic removal. BC filters showed high MP capture efficiency and are biodegradable, addressing both microplastic pollution and the environmental costs of conventional synthetic filter maintenance.

2022 Water Research 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanocellulose Bio-Based Composites for Food Packaging

This review explores the use of nanocellulose-based bio-composites as sustainable alternatives to synthetic plastic packaging in the food industry. Researchers found that nanocellulose materials offer improved mechanical strength, barrier properties, and biodegradability compared to conventional plastics. The study highlights how these plant-derived materials could help reduce plastic packaging waste while maintaining food quality and safety standards.

2020 Nanomaterials 194 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent Advances in Cellulose Nanofiber Modification and Characterization and Cellulose Nanofiber-Based Films for Eco-Friendly Active Food Packaging

This review covers advances in cellulose nanofibers, a plant-based material being developed as an eco-friendly alternative to plastic food packaging. These nanofibers are biodegradable, can be extracted from agricultural waste, and can be enhanced with antimicrobial or barrier properties. Replacing conventional plastic packaging with bio-based films like these could help reduce the microplastic contamination that enters the food supply.

2024 Foods 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Preparation and Characterization of Cellulose Filled With Hydroxyapatite Biocomposite Film

Despite its title referencing cellulose biocomposite film, this paper studies the development of biodegradable packaging materials as a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics — not microplastic pollution itself. It examines the thermal, mechanical, and water-resistance properties of cellulose-hydroxyapatite films and is not relevant to microplastics or human health.

2025 Biopolymers 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and biobased polymers to combat plastics waste

This review covers the health risks of microplastics and examines how biobased polymers like polylactic acid and other plant-derived plastics could help reduce plastic pollution. While these alternatives show promise for replacing conventional plastics, the review notes that some bioplastics still produce microplastics as they break down. The takeaway is that switching to biobased materials is part of the solution, but it will not eliminate microplastic pollution entirely.

2023 Chemosphere 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Bioplastic- Futuristic Approach

This review examines bioplastics as a sustainable alternative to petrochemical-based plastics, covering materials derived from biomass such as starch, cellulose, and microbial polymers. The paper surveys the biodegradation properties, production methods, and limitations of current bioplastic technologies as part of a broader strategy to address global plastic pollution.

2024 INTERANTIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT
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

Potential of Nanocellulose for Microplastic removal: Perspective and challenges

Researchers reviewed how nanocellulose — tiny fibers derived from plant cell walls — can capture and remove microplastics from water through its large surface area and adaptable chemistry, positioning it as a promising, naturally biodegradable filter material. While early results are encouraging, further research is needed to optimize how nanocellulose works at scale in real drinking water and wastewater treatment systems.

2024 Tetrahedron Green Chem 19 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)
Article Tier 2

Prospective Biodegradable Plastics from Biomass Conversion Processes

This review surveys the potential of plant biomass as a source of biodegradable plastic alternatives, covering different types of bioplastics and their production processes. Replacing petroleum-based plastics with biodegradable bio-based materials would significantly reduce persistent microplastic pollution.

2018 InTech eBooks 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Bio-Based Materials for Packaging

This review evaluates bio-based materials as sustainable alternatives for plastic packaging, examining the environmental performance, mechanical properties, and commercial viability of biopolymers in addressing the global plastic pollution crisis.

2022 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 30 citations