Papers

61,005 results
|
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

Recent advancements in alginate-based films for active food packaging applications

This review covers advances in alginate-based films as alternatives to plastic food packaging, which could help reduce the amount of plastic entering the environment. While not directly about microplastic health effects, developing effective biodegradable packaging is one strategy to reduce the flow of plastics that eventually break down into microplastics. These plant-based films could help decrease the overall microplastic burden in food and the environment.

2024 Sustainable Food Technology 86 citations
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
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

Agar-Agar and Chitosan as Precursors in the Synthesis of Functional Film for Foods: A Review

This paper is not about microplastics; it reviews the use of agar-agar and chitosan biopolymers to develop sustainable natural packaging films for the food industry.

2023 Macromol—A Journal of Macromolecular Research 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Chitosan with Natural Additives as a Potential Food Packaging

Researchers reviewed the potential of chitosan, a natural polymer derived from chitin, as a sustainable alternative to conventional plastic food packaging. Chitosan-based materials combined with natural additives show promising antimicrobial and biocompatible properties while being biodegradable. The study suggests these materials could help reduce plastic packaging waste and the associated microplastic pollution from food industry sources.

2023 Materials 53 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent trends in the application of films and coatings based on starch, cellulose, chitin, chitosan, xanthan, gellan, pullulan, Arabic gum, alginate, pectin, and carrageenan in food packaging

This review covers the latest advances in using natural polysaccharides like starch, chitosan, and cellulose to create biodegradable food packaging as an alternative to petroleum-based plastics. Replacing conventional plastic packaging with these biopolymer-based materials could help reduce the generation of microplastics that contaminate food and ultimately enter the human body.

2024 Food Frontiers 90 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
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

Methods of extraction, physicochemical properties of alginates and their applications in biomedical field – a review

This review covers the extraction methods, properties, and biomedical applications of alginates, natural polysaccharides derived from brown seaweed. Researchers highlight how extraction parameters affect alginate quality and how these biopolymers can be formed into fibers, films, hydrogels, and foams for wound management and pharmaceutical use. The study notes that alginates are biodegradable and biocompatible, making them a promising material for reducing reliance on synthetic plastics in certain applications.

2019 Open Chemistry 163 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable Sodium Alginate Films Enriched With Oils—A Review

This review examines how adding natural oils to biodegradable sodium alginate films can improve their performance as an alternative to conventional plastic packaging. Researchers found that essential oils enhance the films with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, extending the shelf life of packaged food. The approach offers a promising way to reduce reliance on petroleum-based plastics while maintaining food quality and safety.

2025 Packaging Technology and Science 4 citations
Article Tier 2

An Antibacterial and Antioxidant Food Packaging Film Based on Amphiphilic Polypeptides‐Resveratrol‐Chitosan

Researchers developed a biodegradable food packaging film made from natural materials including chitosan and resveratrol that kills bacteria and prevents food spoilage. Unlike conventional plastic packaging that breaks down into microplastics, this film is made entirely from biological materials and poses no microplastic contamination risk. This type of eco-friendly alternative could help reduce the microplastics that enter the food supply through traditional plastic packaging.

2024 Small 10 citations
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

Recent advances in carrageenan-based films for food packaging applications

This review covers recent advances in carrageenan-based biodegradable films as sustainable alternatives to plastic food packaging, examining extraction methods, film fabrication strategies, and applications in extending food shelf life.

2022 Frontiers in Nutrition 120 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Food packaging based on biodegradable polymers from seaweeds: a systematic review

This systematic review examines the use of seaweed-based biodegradable polymers as alternatives to conventional plastic food packaging. The research explores how seaweed materials can provide effective food packaging while breaking down naturally in the environment. Replacing petroleum-based plastics with biodegradable alternatives is one strategy for reducing the microplastic pollution that enters our food and water.

2024 BIO Web of Conferences 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

Sustainable Marine Macroalgal Polysaccharide Films and Coatings: Toward Active and Intelligent Food Packaging System

This review (2020–2025) examines marine macroalgal polysaccharides—alginate, agar, carrageenan, and others—as sustainable film-forming materials for active and intelligent food packaging, highlighting their antimicrobial, antioxidant, and biodegradable properties as alternatives to plastic packaging.

2025 Journal of Applied Food Technology
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

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

Evaluation of the Food Barrier and Mechanical Properties of Carrageenan‐Starch Composite Films

This study developed and tested composite films made from carrageenan and starch for food packaging applications, evaluating their barrier properties against water vapor and oxygen as well as mechanical strength. The bio-based composites showed promising properties as plastic-free food packaging alternatives.

2024 Food Science & Nutrition 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Role of microalgae as a sustainable alternative of biopolymers and its application in industries

Not a microplastics paper — this review examines the potential of algae-derived biopolymers (such as alginate, carrageenan, and polyhydroxyalkanoates) as biodegradable, eco-friendly replacements for petroleum-based plastics, highlighting their advantages but noting challenges for large-scale production.

2023 Plant Science Today 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable materials based on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly (lactic acid) (PLA) with antioxidant and antimicrobial activity for food packaging applications

Researchers developed biodegradable food packaging films by combining poly(vinyl alcohol) and polylactic acid with natural antioxidants and antimicrobials. The resulting films extended food shelf life and degraded in the environment unlike conventional plastic packaging. Replacing petroleum-based plastic food packaging with biodegradable alternatives could significantly reduce microplastic contamination from packaging waste.

2021 1 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

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