Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Biodegradable and edible film: A counter to plastic pollution

This paper reviews biodegradable and edible films as alternatives to conventional plastic packaging in the food industry, which contributes a major share of global plastic waste. While not a complete solution, these alternative materials could meaningfully reduce plastic pollution if adopted more widely in food packaging applications.

2020 International Journal of Chemical Studies 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Edible and Functionalized Films/Coatings—Performances and Perspectives

This review covers recent advances in edible and biodegradable food films and coatings made from biological materials, examining their performance properties and potential as sustainable replacements for conventional petroleum-based food packaging.

2020 Coatings 116 citations
Article Tier 2

An overview: exploring the potential of fruit and vegetable waste and by-products in food biodegradable packaging

Researchers reviewed how fruit and vegetable processing waste — rich in polyphenols, vitamins, and fiber — can be transformed into biodegradable food packaging films and coatings, offering an eco-friendly alternative to conventional plastic packaging. Repurposing food waste this way could simultaneously reduce plastic pollution (including microplastics from packaging degradation) and address agricultural waste disposal challenges.

2024 Discover Food 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Starch-based edible protective coating obtained from sweet potato waste.

Researchers developed an edible protective food coating made from sweet potato waste starch, offering a sustainable alternative to plastic packaging. The coating extended shelf life and improved food safety, demonstrating how agricultural waste can be used to create eco-friendly food preservation materials.

2023 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Nano‐fillers Embedded Green Polyvinyl Alcohol/Starch Mixed Matrix Polymeric Thin Film to Enhance the Freshness of Vegetables

Researchers developed biodegradable food packaging films made from polyvinyl alcohol and starch — reinforced with titanium dioxide and graphitic carbon nitride nanoparticles — as a sustainable alternative to conventional petroleum-based plastic packaging. The resulting films showed improved water vapor barrier properties and were designed to slow food spoilage, with the explicit motivation of reducing the microplastic pollution caused by single-use synthetic plastics. While primarily a materials science study, it is relevant to microplastics as part of the effort to replace plastic packaging with safer alternatives.

2025 ChemistrySelect 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Valorization and Application of Fruit and Vegetable Wastes and By-Products for Food Packaging Materials

This review summarized recent research on converting fruit and vegetable processing waste into biopolymer-based food packaging materials, covering extraction of pectin, cellulose, and starch from by-products and their performance as biodegradable packaging films.

2021 Molecules 118 citations
Article Tier 2

Plasticor: Smarting Food Packages

Researchers developed Plasticor, a biodegradable smart food packaging concept designed to monitor food freshness and reduce both food waste and plastic pollution. Replacing conventional non-degradable plastic packaging with biodegradable alternatives could reduce the plastic that breaks down into environmental microplastics.

2021 Journal of Biomedical and Allied Research
Article Tier 2

Biofilms Production from Avocado Waste

Researchers developed biofilms from starch and cellulose extracted from avocado peels and seeds as potential biodegradable food packaging materials. These plant-based packaging alternatives could replace petroleum-based plastics that break down into persistent microplastics.

2021 Ingenieria y Universidad 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Advances and recent trends in plant-based materials and edible films: a mini-review

This review highlights recent advances in plant-based packaging materials and edible films made from natural polysaccharides, proteins, and lipids as sustainable alternatives to conventional plastic packaging. Researchers explored how 3D printing and functionalization strategies can enhance the mechanical strength, barrier properties, and shelf-life extension of these materials. The findings point toward a growing toolkit of biodegradable options that could help reduce plastic waste in food packaging.

2024 Frontiers in Chemistry 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Biopolymer-based solutions for enhanced safety and quality assurance: A review

Researchers review how biopolymers are replacing petroleum-based plastics across the food industry, covering antimicrobial packaging, edible coatings, bioactive encapsulation, and smart polymer functions such as pH sensing and time-temperature monitoring that reduce food waste and microplastic pollution.

2024 Food Research International 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Synthesis and characterization of a biodegradable film from eggshell and green banana starch

Researchers synthesized and characterized a biodegradable film using eggshell and green banana starch as a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics, evaluating its material properties as part of an effort to address plastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from plastic production.

2024 Minerva Digital Library (Universidad EAN)
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

From Fruit Waste to Hydrogels for Agricultural Applications

Not relevant to microplastics — this study develops biodegradable hydrogels from fruit waste (pectin and starch) to reduce water loss and slow herbicide migration in sandy agricultural soils, without any connection to plastic pollution.

2023 Clean Technologies 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Starch-polyester bilayer films with phenolic acids for pork meat preservation

Researchers created biodegradable bilayer food packaging films made from starch and plant-based polyesters, enhanced with natural phenolic acids, finding they reduced lipid oxidation and bacterial growth in packaged pork meat. These active films offer a promising plastic-free alternative to extend food shelf life while reducing environmental impact.

2022 Food Chemistry 83 citations
Review Tier 2

Current trends in biopolymers for food packaging: a review

This review covers the latest developments in biopolymer-based food packaging, including biodegradable films, edible coatings, and active or smart packaging systems. Researchers found that while these sustainable alternatives show promise, they still face challenges in matching the moisture, heat, and barrier properties of conventional petroleum-based plastics. The study highlights ongoing efforts to improve these materials so they can realistically replace traditional plastic packaging.

2023 Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 130 citations
Article Tier 2

Corncob-derived biodegradable packaging films: A sustainable solution for raspberry post-harvest preservation

Researchers developed biodegradable packaging films from corncob waste that preserved raspberries significantly longer than conventional polystyrene packaging. The films biodegrade in soil within 29 days, offering a sustainable alternative that could reduce microplastic contamination from food packaging. This matters because plastic food packaging is a known source of microplastic and nanoplastic migration into food.

2024 Food Chemistry 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Natural pH-Sensitive Intelligent Edible Gel-Based Packaging: From Structural Design to Fruit Freshness Monitoring

Conventional plastic packaging is a major source of microplastic pollution, and this review examines a category of biodegradable alternatives: edible gel-based packaging that incorporates natural pH-sensitive pigments which visually signal when food is going bad by changing color. These plant-based films can extend shelf life, reduce food waste, and eliminate the need for synthetic plastics — while the color-change feature lets consumers see at a glance if fruit or other produce has spoiled. The review highlights remaining challenges around water resistance and scalability that need to be solved before these materials can widely replace conventional plastic packaging.

2026 Gels
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

Development and Characterization of Starch Based Bioplatics Using Banana Peels

This study developed bioplastic films from banana peel starch as a biodegradable alternative to conventional petroleum-based packaging plastics. Food waste-based bioplastics offer a sustainable approach to reducing the accumulation of persistent microplastics in the environment.

2023 American Journal of Polymer Science and Technology
Article Tier 2

Preparation and characterization of edible film from Barnyard millet starch

Researchers developed edible films from barnyard millet starch as a biodegradable alternative to synthetic plastic food packaging. Replacing conventional plastic packaging with plant-based edible films could significantly reduce the amount of packaging plastic that eventually breaks down into microplastics in the environment.

2021 International Journal of Chemical Studies 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Natural Polymeric Materials: A Solution to Plastic Pollution from the Agro-Food Sector

This review examined biopolymer materials derived from fruit and vegetable food waste — including starch, cellulose, and protein-based polymers — as replacements for petroleum-derived food packaging plastics, discussing extraction processes, material properties, and sustainability advantages.

2021 Polymers 149 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhancing water resistance and mechanical properties of starch‐based edible biofilms through chitosan, seaweed, and sodium tripolyphosphate modifications

Researchers developed improved starch-based edible biofilms using chitosan, seaweed, and sodium tripolyphosphate as sustainable alternatives to single-use plastic food wrapping. The study found that these modifications significantly enhanced the biofilms' mechanical strength and water resistance while maintaining non-toxic and antimicrobial properties, offering a promising eco-friendly replacement for conventional plastic packaging.

2024 Polymer Engineering and Science 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Development of sago-based edible plastic as primary packaging for instant food products

Researchers developed a sago-based edible plastic as primary packaging for instant food products as a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics that contribute to microplastic pollution. The bio-based packaging was designed to be safe for food contact and to reduce the accumulation of persistent plastic waste in ecosystems.

2025 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science
Article Tier 2

Agro-Food Waste Valorization for Sustainable Bio-Based Packaging

This review examines how waste from food processing can be repurposed into biodegradable packaging materials as an alternative to conventional plastics. Researchers have developed films and coatings from fruit peels, grain husks, and other agricultural byproducts, though most solutions remain at the laboratory stage. Replacing traditional plastic packaging with these bio-based alternatives could help reduce the generation of microplastics that contaminate food and water supplies.

2024 Journal of Composites Science 52 citations