The use of polymers from biomass in the production of flexible packaging is an important challenge to give an answer to both the reduction of oil-derived materials and the increase of waste production. Oil-derived materials are now employed in recyclable packaging, but, although the management of waste recycling is improving, it cannot allow the complete mechanical recycling of the plastic fraction. It would be important to optimize the system by replacing packaging difficult to be recyclable, such as multi-layer flexible packaging mainly based on the use of polyolefines, with alternative packaging consisting of biodegradable materials, thus managing its disposal by considering composting. In the present paper, a classification of polymeric materials available from biomass for flexible packaging is reported. Moreover, the biodegradable and renewable materials investigated or yet employed in this sector are described. In addition, some insights on the actual production of flexible packaging is given, to describe also what technical specification the polymers from biomass should have to replace commodities. Finally, the perspectives in the field of flexible packaging for polymers from biomass are discussed.
Flexible food packaging using polymers from biomass
Maria-Beatrice Coltelli;Vito Gigante;Patrizia Cinelli;Andrea Lazzeri
2018-01-01
Abstract
The use of polymers from biomass in the production of flexible packaging is an important challenge to give an answer to both the reduction of oil-derived materials and the increase of waste production. Oil-derived materials are now employed in recyclable packaging, but, although the management of waste recycling is improving, it cannot allow the complete mechanical recycling of the plastic fraction. It would be important to optimize the system by replacing packaging difficult to be recyclable, such as multi-layer flexible packaging mainly based on the use of polyolefines, with alternative packaging consisting of biodegradable materials, thus managing its disposal by considering composting. In the present paper, a classification of polymeric materials available from biomass for flexible packaging is reported. Moreover, the biodegradable and renewable materials investigated or yet employed in this sector are described. In addition, some insights on the actual production of flexible packaging is given, to describe also what technical specification the polymers from biomass should have to replace commodities. Finally, the perspectives in the field of flexible packaging for polymers from biomass are discussed.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
