Evaluation of the functionality of compostable bioplastics in food applications

Abstract

As the focus in the food packaging industry changes more and more towards a sustainable and circular economy, food producers face challenges to make their packaging either reusable, recyclable or compostable. Over ten years of research on bioplastics have led to a variety of new materials for diverse applications. In 2021 the total global production of bioplastics was 2.41 million tonnes of which roughly 65% are biodegradable and over half of these materials are used in food packaging. While there is still some scepticism towards bioplastics due to dubious labelling (biodegradable vs. compostable), potential contamination of the recycling stream and the high cost of low volumes, the market and application range for bioplastics is expected to increase to 7.59 million tonnes by 2026. However, the functionality or the applicability of bioplastics as food packaging has not been widely investigated and in-depth research is necessary to promote the speedy implementation of these materials in new applications. In the past the emphasis was always on bioplastics based on materials such as polylactic acid (PLA), cellulose and starch. But in the past years new materials have become commercially available, such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), polybutylene succinates (PBS) and blends made of compostable bioplastics, also used as papercoatings. In the context of the Belgian TETRA (Technology Transfer) project “BIO-FUN”, a new generation of commercially available biodegradable plastics was evaluated for its seal performance, gas- and water vapour transmission rate, and mechanical properties to gain more insight in employment of these different materials in food packaging applications. After this broad screening was conducted, several case studies were launched to perform an in-depth analysis with a specific food application in mind. In this presentation these case studies are highlighted.