The function and properties of common food packaging materials and their suitability for reusable packaging: The transition from a linear to circular economy
For the last few decades, plastics have been the material of choice for food packaging applications. Combining mechanical performance with barrier properties and transparency, plastics have been a cost-effective solution for safely distributing food produce. Unfortunately, most plastic packaging is...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Current Research in Green and Sustainable Chemistry |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666086524000341 |
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| author | Ronan Farrell Yvonne J. Cortese Declan M. Devine Noel Gately Margarita Rueda Lorena Rodriguez Romina Pezzoli |
| author_facet | Ronan Farrell Yvonne J. Cortese Declan M. Devine Noel Gately Margarita Rueda Lorena Rodriguez Romina Pezzoli |
| author_sort | Ronan Farrell |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | For the last few decades, plastics have been the material of choice for food packaging applications. Combining mechanical performance with barrier properties and transparency, plastics have been a cost-effective solution for safely distributing food produce. Unfortunately, most plastic packaging is based on a linear model where packaging is designed for single use, resulting in vast amounts of post-consumer waste being generated annually. In response to this concern, many public and private bodies globally have set ambitious sustainable development targets with the goal of reducing plastic waste. To assist in meeting these targets, the implementation of reusable packaging schemes has been suggested. These schemes aim to prolong the lifespan and worth of plastic packaging and have the potential to reduce the environmental impact of single-use plastics, provided all aspects of their design are carefully considered. One design aspect often neglected is the influence of repeated use on the properties of the packaging material. Very little literature exists investigating the effects that repeated contamination and washing can have on the material's intrinsic properties. This review article aims to comprehensively review the functions and properties of various food packaging materials to assess their suitability for reusable food packaging applications. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d3d474b1536c495dada6bb32a5819982 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2666-0865 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Current Research in Green and Sustainable Chemistry |
| spelling | doaj-art-d3d474b1536c495dada6bb32a58199822025-08-20T01:56:34ZengElsevierCurrent Research in Green and Sustainable Chemistry2666-08652024-01-01910042910.1016/j.crgsc.2024.100429The function and properties of common food packaging materials and their suitability for reusable packaging: The transition from a linear to circular economyRonan Farrell0Yvonne J. Cortese1Declan M. Devine2Noel Gately3Margarita Rueda4Lorena Rodriguez5Romina Pezzoli6Applied Polymer Technologies Gateway, Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest, Athlone Campus, University Road, Athlone, N37 HD68, Ireland; PRISM Research Institute, Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest, Athlone Campus, University Road, Athlone, N37 HD68, IrelandPRISM Research Institute, Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest, Athlone Campus, University Road, Athlone, N37 HD68, IrelandPRISM Research Institute, Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest, Athlone Campus, University Road, Athlone, N37 HD68, IrelandApplied Polymer Technologies Gateway, Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest, Athlone Campus, University Road, Athlone, N37 HD68, IrelandMaterials and Recycling Department, Industrial and Technical Centre for Plastics and Composites (IPC), 2 Rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 01100, Bellignat, FranceAIMPLAS, Instituto Tecnológico del Plástico, C/Gustave Eiffel 4, 46980, Paterna, Valencia, SpainApplied Polymer Technologies Gateway, Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest, Athlone Campus, University Road, Athlone, N37 HD68, Ireland; PRISM Research Institute, Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest, Athlone Campus, University Road, Athlone, N37 HD68, Ireland; Corresponding author. Applied Polymer Technologies Gateway, Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest, Athlone Campus, University Road, Athlone, N37 HD68, Ireland.For the last few decades, plastics have been the material of choice for food packaging applications. Combining mechanical performance with barrier properties and transparency, plastics have been a cost-effective solution for safely distributing food produce. Unfortunately, most plastic packaging is based on a linear model where packaging is designed for single use, resulting in vast amounts of post-consumer waste being generated annually. In response to this concern, many public and private bodies globally have set ambitious sustainable development targets with the goal of reducing plastic waste. To assist in meeting these targets, the implementation of reusable packaging schemes has been suggested. These schemes aim to prolong the lifespan and worth of plastic packaging and have the potential to reduce the environmental impact of single-use plastics, provided all aspects of their design are carefully considered. One design aspect often neglected is the influence of repeated use on the properties of the packaging material. Very little literature exists investigating the effects that repeated contamination and washing can have on the material's intrinsic properties. This review article aims to comprehensively review the functions and properties of various food packaging materials to assess their suitability for reusable food packaging applications.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666086524000341Reusable food packagingPlastic packaging materialsCircular economySustainability |
| spellingShingle | Ronan Farrell Yvonne J. Cortese Declan M. Devine Noel Gately Margarita Rueda Lorena Rodriguez Romina Pezzoli The function and properties of common food packaging materials and their suitability for reusable packaging: The transition from a linear to circular economy Current Research in Green and Sustainable Chemistry Reusable food packaging Plastic packaging materials Circular economy Sustainability |
| title | The function and properties of common food packaging materials and their suitability for reusable packaging: The transition from a linear to circular economy |
| title_full | The function and properties of common food packaging materials and their suitability for reusable packaging: The transition from a linear to circular economy |
| title_fullStr | The function and properties of common food packaging materials and their suitability for reusable packaging: The transition from a linear to circular economy |
| title_full_unstemmed | The function and properties of common food packaging materials and their suitability for reusable packaging: The transition from a linear to circular economy |
| title_short | The function and properties of common food packaging materials and their suitability for reusable packaging: The transition from a linear to circular economy |
| title_sort | function and properties of common food packaging materials and their suitability for reusable packaging the transition from a linear to circular economy |
| topic | Reusable food packaging Plastic packaging materials Circular economy Sustainability |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666086524000341 |
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