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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Utilization of spent coffee grounds as fillers to prepare polypropylene composites for food packaging applications
ClearThe Potential of Spent Coffee Grounds in Functional Food Development
This review explores whether spent coffee grounds, the leftover material after brewing coffee, could be used as a health-promoting food ingredient rather than being thrown away. Spent coffee grounds contain beneficial compounds like caffeine and antioxidants that may help protect against heart disease, cancer, and liver problems. While not directly about microplastics, repurposing this waste could reduce the millions of tons of coffee grounds sent to landfills each year, where they contribute to environmental pollution.
Thermal Properties Study of Recycled Espresso Coffee Capsules for Biocomposite Application
This study evaluated the thermal properties of recycled espresso coffee capsule waste for use in biocomposite applications, finding the material has suitable characteristics as a reinforcing filler. The research supports finding productive secondary uses for growing volumes of single-use plastic capsule waste.
Biocomposites Based on Wheat Flour with Urea-Based Eutectic Plasticizer and Spent Coffee Grounds: Preparation, Physicochemical Characterization, and Study of Their Influence on Plant Growth
Researchers developed biocomposite materials from wheat flour plasticized with a choline chloride-urea eutectic mixture and spent coffee grounds, finding that the resulting material supports plant growth and offers a biodegradable alternative to synthetic plastic packaging.
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.
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.
Investigation of the sound-absorbing performances of pure coffee grounds
This study tested pure coffee grounds as a natural, eco-friendly sound-absorbing material. Researchers found that coffee grounds had meaningful sound absorption properties, particularly at higher frequencies. Repurposing coffee waste as a building material could substitute for petroleum-based foam sound absorbers that can shed microplastics.
Low-Quality Coffee Beans Used as a Novel Biomass Source of Cellulose Nanocrystals: 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 food chains.
Characterization of Composites from Post-Consumer Polypropylene and Oilseed Pomace Fillers
This paper is not relevant to microplastics research; it characterizes wood-plastic composites made from recycled polypropylene and agricultural pomace fillers, evaluating mechanical properties for construction applications rather than addressing plastic pollution.
Valorization of post-consumer plastic packaging into a composite material
This study developed a composite building material from post-consumer mixed plastic packaging waste, providing a higher-value end use that diverts plastic from landfill. Using plastic waste in durable construction products reduces the amount available to degrade into microplastics in the environment.
Recycling of Polypropylene Recovered from a Composting Plant: Mechanical Behavior of Compounds with Virgin Plastic
Not directly relevant to microplastics — this paper investigates mechanical recycling of polypropylene recovered from a composting plant's waste stream, focusing on material properties after reprocessing.
A Systemic View of Biodegradable Materials: Analyzing the Environmental Performance of Compostable Coffee Capsules in Real Infrastructural Contexts
A systemic analysis of biodegradable materials examined their environmental performance across their full lifecycle, from production through disposal and degradation. The review finds that the environmental benefits of biodegradable plastics depend heavily on end-of-life conditions and that many do not degrade as claimed under real-world conditions.
Development and Evaluation of Recycled Polypropylene and Bean Pod Powder Composite Biomaterial for Fused Filament Fabrication
Researchers developed a composite biomaterial using recycled polypropylene and bean pod powder for fused filament fabrication 3D printing, evaluating its mechanical and thermal properties as a strategy for diverting both plastic and agricultural waste from the environment.
Two-Stage Bio-Hydrogen and Polyhydroxyalkanoate Production: Upcycling of Spent Coffee Grounds
Researchers developed a two-stage process to upcycle spent coffee grounds, extracting oil for polyhydroxyalkanoate (bioplastic) production and using the remaining biomass for biohydrogen generation, demonstrating that oil extraction improved subsequent sugar and hydrogen yields by 15-33%.
Removal of nano-sized polystyrene plastic from aqueous solutions using untreated coffee grounds
Researchers tested untreated coffee grounds as a low-cost biosorbent for removing nanoplastics from water, finding up to 74% removal efficiency across a wide pH range within 40 minutes, with electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding between coffee ground surface groups and the polystyrene particles driving adsorption.
A Study of Plant-Filled Polymer Composites Based on Highly Plasticized Polyvinyl Chloride
Not relevant to microplastics — this is a polymer materials study developing plant-filled PVC composites (using spruce flour, birch flour, and rice husk as fillers) to improve the ecological profile of PVC products, with testing of mechanical and thermal properties.
Influence of the Presence of a Nano-Sized Filler in the Generation of Microplastics from Polypropylene Nanocomposites
Researchers studied how adding nano-sized fillers to polypropylene nanocomposites affects the generation of microplastics during degradation. The study found that the presence of nanofillers influences the rate and characteristics of microplastic formation, providing evidence that the composition of plastic products affects their potential to generate secondary microplastic pollution.
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.
Potential use of PET and PP as partial replacement of sand in structural concrete
Researchers tested whether PET and polypropylene plastic waste could partially replace sand in structural concrete, evaluating the physical and mechanical properties of the resulting material. Using post-consumer plastic in construction is one strategy for diverting plastic from the waste stream and preventing it from breaking down into environmental microplastics.
Valorization of Cork Stoppers, Coffee-Grounds and Walnut Shells in the Development and Characterization of Pectin-Based Composite Films: Physical, Barrier, Antioxidant, Genotoxic, and Biodegradation Properties
Researchers developed biodegradable composite films using pectin combined with waste materials from cork stoppers, coffee grounds, and walnut shells as a sustainable alternative to plastic packaging. The films showed antioxidant properties, were non-genotoxic, and biodegraded effectively in both soil and seawater within weeks. The study demonstrates that food industry and agricultural waste can be repurposed into functional, environmentally friendly packaging materials.
Pouring hot water through drip bags releases thousands of microplastics into coffee
Researchers found that pouring hot water through drip coffee bags releases thousands of microplastic particles into the beverage, with polyester and polypropylene bags releasing significantly more particles than other materials, raising concerns about daily microplastic ingestion from food packaging.