Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Extraction and Application in Sustainable Packaging

Researchers developed bio-based methylcellulose films reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) extracted from low-quality coffee beans as a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based plastic food packaging. The extracted CNCs showed needle-like morphology (~221 nm length), 65.75% crystallinity, and good thermal stability, providing a promising path to reduce microplastic accumulation in trophic chains.

2025 Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT)
Article Tier 2

Utilization of spent coffee grounds as fillers to prepare polypropylene composites for food packaging applications

Researchers used waste coffee grounds as filler material in polypropylene plastic composites to improve sustainability and reduce reliance on virgin plastic. Adding natural biomass waste to plastic formulations can reduce the total plastic content in consumer products, though the composites still produce microplastic fragments during use.

2023
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
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

Development of Films from Spent Coffee Grounds’ Polysaccharides Crosslinked with Calcium Ions and 1,4-Phenylenediboronic Acid: A Comparative Analysis of Film Properties and Biodegradability

Researchers developed biodegradable films from polysaccharides extracted from spent coffee grounds crosslinked with calcium ions, demonstrating a pathway to convert a high-volume food industry byproduct into sustainable packaging materials.

2023 Foods 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Utilizing the Antioxidant Properties of Coffee By-Products to Stabilize Bioplastics

This study developed bioplastic films stabilized with antioxidants from coffee production byproducts, improving their resistance to oxidation and light degradation. Bioplastics that resist premature degradation while remaining fully biodegradable are important for reducing microplastic generation from compostable packaging.

2023 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro/nanoscaled cellulose from coffee pods do not impact HT-29 cells while improving viability and endosomal compartment after C. jejuni CDT intoxication

Researchers investigated the safety and functional properties of micro/nanoscaled cellulose derived from coffee pods, finding no significant impact on HT-29 intestinal cells while demonstrating improved mechanical and barrier properties relevant to food packaging applications.

2024 Characterization and Application of Nanomaterials 1 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

Xyloglucan films from tamarind kernels reinforced with chemically modified cellulose nanospheres

Researchers developed biodegradable films from tamarind kernel xyloglucan reinforced with chemically modified cellulose nanospheres as an alternative to conventional plastic food packaging. The bio-based films showed improved mechanical and barrier properties, offering a renewable approach to reducing microplastic and nanoplastic generation from the food packaging sector.

2025 International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 1 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

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

Towards Sustainable Textiles: Microplastics, Coffee, and Closing the Loop

Researchers investigated both microplastic pollution from textile use and the potential of coffee fruit (cascara) waste as a raw material for sustainable cellulosic fibers, finding that pressure-sensitive adhesive substrates effectively capture microplastics from water and that cascara offers a promising bio-based alternative to conventional synthetic textile production.

2023 Deep Blue (University of Michigan) 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Utilization of Disposable Paper Cups for Production of Cellulose Acetate Based Film

Researchers investigated the conversion of disposable paper cups -- a common food service waste stream with a polyethylene plastic lining -- into cellulose acetate film as a sustainable alternative to conventional plastic films. The study characterized the resulting biopolymer film for its properties and evaluated the approach as a strategy for valorizing paper cup waste.

2024 International Journal of Innovative Research in Engineering & Management
Article Tier 2

Effect of the Addition of Fique Bagasse Cellulose Nanoparticles on the Mechanical and Structural Properties of Plastic Flexible Films from Cassava Starch

This paper is not about microplastics — it develops biodegradable flexible films from cassava starch reinforced with cellulose nanoparticles derived from fique plant waste, focusing on sustainable packaging material properties.

2023 Polymers 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Free standing nanocellulose films – fabrication methods, surface engineering and recyclability

This review examines fabrication methods, surface engineering approaches, and recyclability of free-standing nanocellulose films, highlighting their potential as sustainable alternatives to synthetic plastic films across various applications.

2025 Asian Engineering Review
Article Tier 2

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF NANOCRYSTAL CELLULOSE DERIVED FROM Parkia biglobosa POD

Researchers synthesized and characterized nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) from Parkia biglobosa pod waste using standard isolation procedures, confirming its structure via FTIR, SEM-EDX, XRD, TGA, and DTG analysis and finding that NCC exhibited higher crystallinity and greater thermal stability than raw pod powder, suggesting potential as a reinforcing agent for green composites.

2024 Journal of Chemical Society of Nigeria
Article Tier 2

Lignocellulose-Based Materials for Food Packaging: A Biorefinery Perspective

Not directly relevant to microplastics — this review focuses on lignocellulose-based (paper and cardboard) materials as sustainable alternatives for food packaging, mentioning microplastics only briefly as a motivation for reducing conventional plastic use.

2023 Materials research foundations
Article Tier 2

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) Nanocomposites with Cellulose Nanocrystals

This review examined poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)/cellulose nanocrystal nanocomposites as biodegradable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics, covering preparation routes and how cellulose nanocrystals improve thermal stability, mechanical strength, and barrier properties. The authors concluded that using low-value biomass feedstocks to produce both components could support a viable circular bio-based economy for sustainable packaging.

2022 Polymers 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable carboxymethyl cellulose based material for sustainable packaging application

Researchers converted sugarcane agricultural waste into carboxymethyl cellulose and blended it with gelatin and agar to create a biodegradable plastic film suitable for food packaging, demonstrating a low-cost, environmentally friendly alternative to conventional petroleum-based packaging materials.

2020 Scientific Reports 248 citations
Article Tier 2

Development of Eco-Friendly Packaging Films from Soyhull Lignocellulose: Towards Valorizing Agro-Industrial Byproducts

Researchers developed a biodegradable packaging film from soyhull waste, a byproduct of the soybean industry, as an alternative to petroleum-based plastics. The film showed good barrier and mechanical properties suitable for food packaging applications. This type of innovation is important because replacing conventional plastic packaging with biodegradable alternatives could reduce the generation of microplastics that contaminate food and the environment.

2024 Foods 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Preparation and Characterization of Cellulose Nanoparticles from Agricultural Wastes and Their Application in Polymer Composites

Researchers developed eco-sustainable bio-nanocomposite materials by extracting cellulose nanoparticles from agricultural waste such as rapeseed straw, demonstrating their potential as renewable, biodegradable alternatives to synthetic nanomaterials.

2023 Scholars International Journal of Chemistry and Material Sciences 2 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

Advances in Cellulose-Based Packaging Films for Food Products

This review covers recent advances in cellulose-based packaging films as sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics, examining how different cellulose structures and derivatives enable versatile film properties for food packaging applications.

2023 IntechOpen eBooks 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Biosourced spherical microbeads from brewer's spent grain for sustainable personal hygiene products

Researchers developed biosourced spherical microbeads from brewer's spent grain as a sustainable substitute for petrochemical plastic microbeads used as exfoliating agents in personal care products. The bio-based particles were characterized for size, shape, and mechanical properties to confirm suitability for cosmetic formulations.

2024 Journal of Polymer Science 4 citations