Packaging Materials

Packaging material pollution is currently one of the most pressing environmental problems, especially in countries with a low recycling rate. The increased awareness of environmental protection has stimulated the development of different biobased materials as matrix alternatives to petroleum-derived polymers to produce innovative biobased packaging for industrial exploitation.

Biobased packaging materials refer to materials made from renewable raw materials that have a direct or indirect natural origin, for example, paper made from wood fibers and various types of plastic made from biomass.

Properties and Benefits of Biobased Packaging Materials

The following table lists main physicochemical and functional properties of bio-based polymers, generally investigated for their application as components of packaging materials ^[1]. Noticeably, not all biobased materials are biodegradable, and not all biodegradable materials are biobased.

Biobased Packaging Materials
Color Transparency Thickness Manipulability	Tensile strength Elongation at break Young's module	Water vapor barrier Gas Barrier	Antimicrobial Antioxidant
Biodegradability Composability	Molecular structure Thermal behavior Heat sealing	Solubility Swelling Contact angle	Surface & cross-section morphology

Biobased packaging materials present several key benefits to both the producer and the consumer, including but not limited to:

Contributing to reducing fossil fuel dependency.
Reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Most biobased packaging materials produce less and cleaner emissions during their manufacturing processes. In addition, a large majority of biobased packaging materials are biodegradable.
Changes in textures, shapes, coatings, and substrate thicknesses of biobased packaging materials make them more adaptable and cost-effective.

Common Biobased Packaging Materials

Biobased materials can be produced using different methods: either directly from natural substances that include polysaccharides and proteins, or by polymerization of monomers derived from biomass, such as polylactic acid (PLA). Other biopolymers can be produced by microorganisms such as polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA). The following table summaries the main characteristics of bio-based materials for packaging and textile applications.

Bio-Based Material	Synthetic/ Non-Synthetic	Classification	Common Feedstock or Source	Monomer/ Sub-Unit
Polylactic Acid (PLA)	Synthetic	Aliphatic Polyester	Corn, Corn Stover, Sugarcane, Bagasse, Sugar beet, Rice hulls	Lactic Acid (L- and D-Isomers)
Polyethylene Furanoate (PEF)	Synthetic	Aliphatic Polyester	Corn, Wheat	2,5-FurandicarboXylic Acid, Monoethylene Glycol
Polybutylene Succinate (PBS)	Synthetic	Aliphatic Polyester	Sugar Cane, Sugar beet, Corn, Potato, Wheat	Succinic Acid and 1,4-Butanediol
Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)	Non-Synthetic	Aliphatic Polyester (Family)	Sugars and emerging trials with waste biomass	Depending on the Sub Type
Cellulose	Non-Synthetic	Polysaccharid	Plant material	β-D-Glucose
Starch	Non-Synthetic	Polysaccharid	Potatoes, Corn, Wheat, Rice, Tapioca	D-Glucose
Protein	Non-Synthetic	Proteins	Plants and animals	Amino Acids
Lipids and Waxes	Non-Synthetic	Lipids	Plants and animals	Fatty Acids and Other Hydrocarbons

Application areas

Alfa Chemistry is a professional supplier of biobased products used in packaging materials. For high quality products, professional technical service, use suggestion and latest industry news, please feel free to contact us.

References

Porta R., Sabbah M., Di Pierro P.. Bio-Based Materials for Packaging. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23, 3611.
Reichert C.L., Bugnicourt E., Coltelli M.-B., et al. Bio-Based Packaging: Materials, Modifications, Industrial Applications and Sustainability. Polymers 2020, 12, 1558.