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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Physical and thermal properties of mycelium-composite materials made from cattail biomass for the manufacture of compostable coffee cups
ClearExploring the frontier of sustainable alternatives: Design, development, and evaluation of mushroom-based edible cups utilizing Agaricus bisporus
Researchers explored the feasibility of making edible cups from button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) powder as a sustainable alternative to disposable plastic cups. The mushroom-based cups are compostable, require less energy to produce, and generate less waste than conventional plastics. While challenges remain around cost and scalability, the study suggests these cups have meaningful commercial potential for reducing plastic pollution in food packaging.
Improving the Physical and Mechanical Properties of Mycelium-Based Green Composites Using Paper Waste
Researchers explored using paper waste to improve mycelium-based composites, which are sustainable materials grown from mushroom fibers. The study found that adding paper waste enhanced the physical and mechanical properties of these biodegradable materials, suggesting they could serve as greener alternatives to traditional plastics and packaging.
Ecohusk Sustainable Coconut Fiber Disposables
Researchers created disposable plates and cups from coconut husks that break down naturally in just 7 days, unlike Styrofoam which contains cancer-causing chemicals and never breaks down. The coconut husk products were strong enough for everyday use and didn't leak water for 3 hours during testing. This offers a safer alternative to plastic disposables that can harm both our health and the environment.
All-natural, hydrophobic, biodegradable cellulose-based straws through simultaneous esterification and filling with stearic acid for cold beverages
Researchers developed a biodegradable, all-natural straw made from bleached bamboo fibers and stearic acid as an alternative to plastic straws that generate microplastics. The straw achieved strong hydrophobicity, worked well in cold beverages including tea, coffee, and milk, and fully degraded in soil within 50 days. The study offers a promising green alternative that avoids both the microplastic pollution from plastic straws and the chemical additives used in conventional paper straws.
SENTACUP: Ulilization of cellulose from tea dregs waste as a waterproof biodegradable cup to support circular economy and environmental sustainability
Scientists created a biodegradable cup made from used tea leaves and natural starches that breaks down in 3-4 months, offering a promising alternative to plastic cups that pollute our environment. The tea-based cups are waterproof and strong enough to hold drinks, which could help reduce the plastic waste and microplastics that end up in our food and water. This innovation turns tea factory waste into something useful while protecting human health from plastic pollution.
Recent Research Trends in Mushroom Mycelium-based Materials
This review summarizes recent research on mushroom mycelium as a sustainable industrial material, covering applications in leather substitutes, construction, electronics, packaging, and insulation. Mycelium-based materials can utilize agricultural and forestry by-products and offer a renewable alternative to conventional plastics.
All-natural, hydrophobic, strong paper straws based on biodegradable composite coatings
Researchers developed an all-natural paper straw coated with a biodegradable mixture of sodium alginate, cellulose nanofibers, and stearic acid that avoids the microplastic problem of traditional plastic-coated straws. The coating made the straws water-resistant for over three hours while maintaining good strength, and the straws fully biodegraded in soil within about 45 days. The study offers a practical alternative to plastic straws that does not contribute to microplastic pollution during breakdown.
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.
Preparation of fungal biocomposite for environment friendly packaging of plant saplings
Researchers grew Pleurotus ostreatus and Ganoderma lucidum fungi on agricultural waste substrates to produce mycelium biocomposites for biodegradable plant sapling packaging, finding that Ganoderma lucidum composites showed superior thermal stability and mechanical strength as a sustainable alternative to plastic packaging.
Release of microplastics from disposable cups in daily use
Researchers tested 90 batches of commercial disposable cups, including plastic and paper varieties, to measure how many microplastics they release into beverages during normal use. They found that all cup types released microplastics, with the amount increasing with higher liquid temperatures and longer contact times. The study highlights disposable cups as a direct and previously underappreciated source of microplastic exposure for consumers.
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.
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.
The 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.
Properties of Chitosan Monofilament from Mushroom Mycelium
Researchers extracted chitosan from the mycelium of three mushroom species — Ganoderma lucidum, Pleurotus ostreatus, and Schizophyllum commune — and formed it into monofilament through wet spinning as an alternative to synthetic and natural fibers that release microplastics. Mushroom mycelium chitosan showed greater deacetylation (82.8-84.8%) and lower molecular weight than commercial chitosan, and its addition improved the surface quality and tensile strength of the resulting monofilament.
Microplastics and other harmful substances released from disposable paper cups into hot water
Researchers tested how hot water interacts with the plastic lining inside disposable paper cups and found that the cups released thousands of microplastic particles into the liquid within minutes of exposure. The polyethylene film coating degraded when exposed to hot water at typical beverage temperatures, releasing both microplastics and other potentially harmful chemical compounds. The study suggests that drinking hot beverages from disposable paper cups may be a significant source of human microplastic ingestion.
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.
Quantification and size classification of Microplastics leached from disposable beverage cups
This study investigated the size and quantity of microplastic particles leached from disposable paper cups into hot beverages, finding that common paper cups release microplastics measurable by size classification. The research quantified the contamination risk posed by single-use beverage cups to people who regularly drink hot liquids.
Reducing Plastic Pollution in the Ocean: MycoBuoys as a Potential Solution
Mycelium-based buoys grown from mushroom material are proposed as a biodegradable alternative to polystyrene foam buoys widely used in Maine aquaculture and fisheries. Unlike Styrofoam, which breaks into persistent microplastic pollution, MycoBuoys decompose completely into beneficial soil nutrients at end-of-life, offering a circular economy solution to a significant source of coastal plastic contamination.
Strong, anti-swelling, and biodegradable seaweed-based straws with surface mineralized CaCO3 armor
Drawing on the structural design of bones and sea urchins, researchers developed seaweed-based drinking straws coated with calcium carbonate that showed strong water resistance and mechanical performance as a plastic-free alternative.
Microplastics from disposable paper cups: a growing concern in everyday life
Researchers measured microplastics released from five types of plastic-coated disposable paper cups into hot beverages over 15 minutes, finding that a single 100 ml cup can shed up to 0.7 million HDPE microplastics (primarily 2–5 μm), with routine users potentially ingesting 657–876 million MPs annually.