Plastic waste pollution in the environment has become a growing concern worldwide. There is a need to develop more natural, environmentally benign products. This demand has opened a new market for biodegradable and/or compostable films for single-use packaging across applications such as food and beverage, healthcare, personal care, and consumer goods. Developing suitable packaging materials from bioderived and biodegradable materials will create a more sustainable and cost-effective circular economy and alleviate the plastic accumulation problem in receiving environments. End-of-life testing of plastic materials in different environments is a great tool to estimate the fate of these plastics, hence identifying their persistence and the suitable pathways for their disposal.<br/>This study aims to improve existing film formulations and food waste extraction methods to produce alternatives to single-use food packaging that are not degradable. We used banana and potato food waste extracts to synthesize new biodegradable blend films with chitosan, a film-forming polysaccharide extracted from crab and shrimp shells. These films showed good thermal stability up to 200 °C, elasticity with elongation up to 121%, and water vapor permeation properties comparable to chitosan films. We also tested the biodegradability of these films in freshwater, soil, and compost environments to determine their fate in the receiving environments. These biofilms reached more than 50% biodegradation in all three environments within 45-90 days. With biodegradability in receiving environments and physicochemical properties needed for single-use applications, new films have great potential for single-use packaging applications.

Blend films from banana and potato food waste with chitosan: Physicochemical properties and biodegradability

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.