Food Packaging Waste Research Articles

Durability of fibre-reinforced cementitious composites (FRCC) including recycled synthetic fibres and rubber aggregates

We discuss mechanical performance of fibre-reinforced cementitious composites under exposure to four aggressive environments, namely alkaline, saline, sulphuric acid and distilled water immersion. A standard commercial Portland cement based matrix is considered alongside its lightweight modification wherein quarzitic sand is partially replaced by recycled rubber crumbs. Also, virgin polypropylene fibres are contrasted to PP+PET blended fibres where the PET fraction is obtained from recycling food packaging waste. Performance is assessed in bending as well as in compression. We find that recycled based specimens perform surprisingly well and that exposure to the aggressive environments mainly affects the matrix and it is not necessarily more detrimental to the lightweight partially recycled phase. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) confirms the statistical significance of the results, which fully support the idea that the adoption of a substantial recycled fraction in construction materials still allows for high performance and durability standards.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Food Packaging and Consumers

Food waste is a significant environmental, economic, and social issue. In many cases, packaging protects food and prolongs its shelf life, reducing the overall environmental impact by reducing food waste. This research focuses on consumer perceptions of the role of packaging and on-pack labelling in reducing household food waste. The following research questions provided the framework for the study: (1) could packaging play a role in decreasing food waste; (2) what are labelling and packaging designs’ impacts on consumer decision-making about food waste? This research draws on two qualitative studies. Study One focuses on journey mapping—following food waste throughout the consumer’s engagement with food ‘journey’ from planning to disposal. Study Two comprises a series of in-depth interviews in consumers’ homes focusing on how consumers engage with food packaging and food waste. Results indicate that there are at least two streams of consumer perceptions to consider when determining the relationship between food packaging and reducing food waste: the first is how practically useful packaging is for consumer needs; the second is consumers’ perceptions about food packaging itself. There are tensions and trade-offs between these two sets of considerations. The results of the studies show consumers are unlikely to consider food packaging or reducing food waste as a primary motivation in their food purchasing decisions. The studies also show reducing packaging, including plastic packaging, is seen as more important than reducing food waste. Our results also highlight important elements to consider when designing food packaging. These results suggest that a fundamental review is needed for many aspects of packaging and storage information and that this review should account for consumers’ information needs at different points: purchase, storage, during consumption, and between instances of consumption. Furthermore, our results suggest packaging designs that provide clear information and instructions for consumers to reduce food waste are needed.

Mechanical Performance of Concrete Made with the Addition of Recycled Macro Plastic Fibres

For many decades, researchers have been working on finding innovative and sustainable solutions to address the enormous quantities of plastic waste that are produced every year which, after being collected, are transformed into energy, recycled, or sent to landfills. Giving a second life to plastic waste as a material to be incorporated, in the form of macro-fibres, into concrete, could be one such solution. The purpose of this study was to analyse the mechanical and physical behaviour of the hardened concrete reinforced with macro plastic fibres (RPFs) obtained from food packaging waste (FPW) discarded during the packaging phase. By varying the quantity of macro-fibres used, physical and mechanical properties such as compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, flexural strength, and toughness were evaluated. It was observed that, although the presence of macro plastic fibres reduced the mechanical resistance capacity compared to that of traditional concrete, their contribution proved to be of some importance in terms of toughness, bringing an improvement in the post-crack resistance of the composite material. This innovative mixture provides a further impulse to the circular economy.

THE IMPACT OF FOOD PACKAGING ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND WAYS OF MANAGING WASTES IN SELECTED GHANAIAN COMMUNITIES

Purpose: The author sought to investigate into how food packaging wastes are handled in the Ghanaian communities, the impact of the wastes on the environment and ways by which the menace can be curbed.
 Methodology: The study was descriptive in nature and observation was the main instrument adopted to gather information on the phenomenon of the threat of packaging waste on the Ghanaian environment. Such observations were conducted in parts of the three namely Accra, Kumasi and Sekondi - Takoradi major cities in Ghana. At least, five (5) suburbs in each of the metropolitan areas were studied.
 Findings: The study revealed that plastic packaging waste generated in the country is currently the most post-consumer waste. Majority of the consumers in Ghana do not take cognizance of the environmental impacts of the products they consume and thus throw or dump packaging waste products indiscriminately. They do not care about what will happen to it, to themselves as individuals and to the environment in general.
 Unique contribution to theory and Practice and policy: The outcome of the study will enlighten the average Ghanaian on how to manage food packaging waste to help save the natural environment from unnecessary pollution, depletion and extinction of animals and marine habitat. This will enable policymakers in Ghana enact appropriate laws that will ensure the proper handling and management of the waste generated by manufacturers and consumers of food packaging.

A triboelectric nanogenerator based on food packaging Aluminium foil and Parafilm for self-powered electronics

The increasing food packaging waste is a severe concern for air, water, and soil pollution. In this research work, a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) is fabricated using waste food packaging Aluminium cover foils and laboratory parafilm for the first time. The device novelty lies in the selection of the materials; parafilm and food packing Aluminium cover foils. The proposed TENG produced an output voltage and instantaneous power density of ∼4 V and 11.8 nW cm−2, respectively, by hand excitation force. Further, TENG can easily power up 85 commercial light-emitting diodes, digital watch, thermometer, and calculator with the help of charged capacitor. The proposed TENG demonstrated the ease of process, simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and reduction of pollution. Further, this TENG performance can be improved with other triboelectric materials and applied in self-powered portable electronic device applications.

Pollutant Potential of Reinforced Concrete Made with Recycled Plastic Fibres from Food Packaging Waste

In our modern, fast-paced life, plastic is a versatile material essential to our economy; daily life is unthinkable without it. However, there are serious downsides for the environment and health, which are becoming more and more stark in our society, and the recycling of plastic offers a partial solution to these widespread problems. The present work delves into the environmental assessment of fibre-reinforced concrete specimens, made with recycled plastic fibres from food packaging waste. Leaching tank tests for the evaluation of the long-term release of pollutant elements, identification of leaching mechanisms, and the diffusion process of contaminants into the environment were conducted on fibre reinforced concrete. The results showed that the incorporation of the recycled plastic fibres, classified as non-hazardous, did not release relevant levels of any potential harmful element incorporated in concrete. Moreover, low mobility was detected in the studied elements and different release mechanisms were identified through long-term diffusion leaching tests. Hence, the environmental feasibility of the incorporation of recycled plastic fibre in concrete was proven. This study strengthens the objectives set out by the Circular Economy Action Plan, which includes the European Strategy for Plastics and aims to, among other things, boost the market for recycled plastics.

Consumer expectation and responses to environmental sustainability initiatives and their impact in foodservice operations: A systematic review.

With increasing pressure on the Earth's finite resources, there is significant demand for environmentally sustainable practices in foodservice. A shift to sustainable foodservice operations can decrease its environmental impact and may align with consumer expectations. This systematic review explored consumer expectations (attitudes pre-intervention) and responses (behaviour, cognitive attitudes and affective attitudes post-intervention) towards environmentally sustainable initiatives of foodservice operations. A systematic search following PRISMA guidelines was conducted across MEDLINE, EMABASE, CINAHL and Web of Science databases. English and full-text research articles published up to November 2019 were identified. Consumers' expectations and responses to interventions were extracted. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Thirty-three studies were included and, given the heterogeneity of the studies, the results were synthesised narratively. The main outcomes analysed included changes in behaviour and attitudes (cognitive and affective), including knowledge and satisfaction. Intervention strategies were interpreted and categorised into three groups: food waste reduction, single-use item and packaging waste reduction, and initiatives related to menu, messaging and labelling. Most studies resulted in significant pro-environmental changes towards decreasing food waste, decreasing single use-item and packaging waste, as well as engaging consumers in sustainable eating. There are a range of successful environmentally sustainable strategies that when implemented by foodservices can have a mostly positive impact on consumer attitudes and responses. However, positive consumer attitudes did not always translate to changes in behaviour. Foodservices should carefully consider implementing interventions that support changes in consumer behaviour.

Preparation of chitosan-based antimicrobial active food packaging film incorporated with Plectranthus amboinicus essential oil

The steep increase in global food packaging waste has caused various environmental concerns and demands a reliable alternative. To meet the demand, bioactive and biodegradable films can be used as packaging material and the incorporation of natural food additives can also further increase the shelf life of the food. The essential oil extracted from plants and spices have a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity and antioxidant activity which can be used as an additive in food packaging material to reduce the deterioration of food by common food borne pathogens. In this report, we have extracted essential oil from Plectranthus amboinicus and incorporated it into chitosan films. This biodegradable film incorporated with Plectranthus amboinicus essential oil showed improved functional properties of the films such as tensile strength, opacity, and water vapor barrier. The essential oil also exhibited promising antimicrobial activity against food pathogens. Hence, essential oil incorporated biodegradable films can be used for food packaging to extend its shelf life.

A Systems Examination of Food Packaging and Other Single-Use Item Waste in School Nutrition Programs

ObjectiveIdentify types of food packaging used in school nutrition programs and competing priorities, barriers, and facilitators for sustainable packaging waste use and recovery. DesignQualitative interviews (n = 20) and structured kitchen observations were conducted. SettingData were collected from 3 school districts in Northern Colorado. ParticipantsThree nutrition program directors, 14 kitchen managers, and 3 sustainability staff. Phenomenon of InterestBarriers and facilitators for sustainable food packaging waste practices among school nutrition programs. AnalysisInterviews were recorded and transcribed, followed by inductive content analysis to identify themes. ResultsCommonly used food packaging included cardboard, aluminum, paper, plastic, and styrofoam. Four competing priorities were identified as impacting school nutrition programs’ ability to reduce or recover food packaging: serving line speed, labor, food quality, and cost. One key barrier was that school staff had difficulty understanding the total system impact of their food packaging use and recovery decisions. Conclusions and ImplicationsFood packaging is commonly used in school nutrition programs, and participants felt that its use offered key benefits, such as facilitating faster serving lines. More research is needed to quantify the direct and indirect impacts of packaging waste reduction and recovery in school nutrition programs.

Monascus pigment‐mediated green synthesis of silver nanoparticles: Catalytic, antioxidant, and antibacterial activity

In order to explore green and efficient methods for the synthesis of nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were rapidly synthesized assisted by the Monascus pigments under simulated sunlight. Prepared AgNPs were characterized using various analytical tools such as ultraviolet‐visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy, Zeta, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM)–energy dispersive X‐ray (EDX), and Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR). There is an absorption peak at 410 nm in the UV–Vis absorption spectrum, which confirms the formation of AgNPs. XRD results affirmed that the synthesized AgNPs were crystalline in nature and preferentially oriented in (111) plane. The morphology of the nanoparticles was found to be spherical by SEM and particle size analysis study revealed the average particle size to be 18.10 ± 0.30 nm. Zeta potential measurement showed excellent stability of AgNPs with negative values of −9.2 ± 0.66 mV. The FT‐IR study represented involvement of functional groups in AgNPs synthesis. The biosynthesized AgNPs exhibited significant antibacterial activity with zones of inhibition of 9.1, 14.5, and 18.0 mm against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. Through the determination of hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity, ABTS radical scavenging capacity, total reducing power, and total antioxidant capacity, it is proved that the AgNPs have certain antioxidant capacity. In addition, AgNPs could catalyze the degradation of methylene blue, methyl orange, and congo red with a pseudo first‐order rate constants of 0.07998, 0.24666, and 0.11805 min−1, respectively. Overall studies indicated that the Monascus pigments could be used to prepare AgNPs with potential antibacterial, antioxidant, and extraordinary catalytic activity. It can be used in biomedical applications, commercial food packaging, pathogen mitigation, and industrial waste water management.

Exploring Domestic Precycling Behavior: A Social Identity Perspective

Increasing amounts of disposable food packaging waste are contributing towards a global environmental crisis, and approaches to successfully preventing such waste—called precycling—are urgently needed. The human ability to define oneself as a member of a group (social identity) may represent a powerful source for realizing environmental endeavors. Therefore, in this article we conceptualize precycling behavior in households as pro-environmental behavior embedded in social identity processes. To explore precycling, we combined food diaries and qualitative virtual interviews with 26 households in Berlin, Germany. We analyzed our data based on the Social Identity Model of Pro-Environmental Action (SIMPEA). Starting from the behavioral element of the model (response), we substantiate the concept of precycling suggesting that it can be distinguished into six types of behavior. Furthermore, we propose that the enactment of these precycling behaviors is shaped by social identity processes and social influence in different groups, including: the household itself, neighbors, family and friends, or food collectives. We conclude that these processes are important to realizing precycling in small and private groups as well as in larger collectives. Implications are derived for empirical research and theoretical development as well as for public programs and intervention studies.

Sharing tableware reduces waste generation, emissions and water consumption in China's takeaway packaging waste dilemma.

China has a rapidly growing online food delivery and takeaway market, serving 406 million customers with 10.0 billion orders and generating 323 kilotonnes of tableware and packaging waste in 2018. Here we use a top-down approach with city-level takeaway order data to explore the packaging waste and life-cycle environmental impacts of the takeaway industry in China. The ten most wasteful cities, with just 7% of the population, in terms of per capita waste generation, were responsible for 30% of the country's takeaway waste, 27-34% of the country's pollutant emissions and 30% of the country's water consumption. We defined one paper substitution and two sharing tableware scenarios to simulate the environmental mitigation potentials. The results of the scenario simulations show that sharing tableware could reduce waste generation by up to 92%, and environmental emissions and water consumption by more than two-thirds. Such a mechanism provides a potential solution to address the food packaging waste dilemma and a new strategy for promoting sustainable and zero-waste lifestyles.

Implementation of harmonized Extended Producer Responsibility strategies to incentivize recovery of single-use plastic packaging waste in Canada

Millions of tonnes of virgin (primary) plastic are produced annually, while recoverable (secondary) plastic rapidly accumulates as waste in landfills and the environment. Single-use plastics (SUPs) have short lifespans, and most of this waste is generated by packaging from global food industries. Food packaging waste comprises approximately one-third (8 million tonnes) of all Canadian municipal solid waste, and only 20% is recovered for reuse or recycling. Extended producer responsibility (EPR) strategies leverage corporate resources to reduce SUP waste generated by consumers. Implementation of EPR strategies allows local jurisdictions to gain greater control over their waste streams. Although Canada has had a national EPR strategy since 2009, it is currently only implemented for packaging in five provinces (e.g., British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Québec), and is currently under development in New Brunswick. In this short communication, a case example of EPR implementation in Nova Scotia is provided which highlights the potential economic benefits for municipalities ($14–17 M CAD in estimated savings), for improved solid waste management and for increasing recycling rates. Further, a regional EPR strategy is recommended for all Atlantic Canadian provinces (e.g., Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia) now that the Canadian federal government has announced a move towards zero plastic waste under the Ocean Plastics Charter.

The Potential of Food Packaging Attributes to Influence Consumers’ Decisions to Sort Waste

Food packaging waste is a valuable resource for material recovery, if it is properly separated and sorted by consumers. The packaging itself may have the potential to assist consumer sorting by, for example, communicating a correct sorting practice. This is partly due to the fact that the sorting of packaging waste, which is a habitual behavior of consumers, can be perceived as being confusing and inconvenient. Consumers can, therefore, choose not to sort. It is argued that material recovery could be enhanced if packaging can afford easy and proper sorting and separation. To investigate the potential of packaging to support proper sorting, six types of yogurt and cream packaging were examined across 15 households in Karlskrona (a medium-sized Swedish city). The aim is to investigate the effect of selected packaging attributes on consumer decisions regarding waste sorting. The results reveal that some of the selected packaging waste is not properly separated and sorted. It is concluded that the design of food packaging based on user-centered needs could affect consumer decisions for the proper sorting of packaging waste, which enables improved material recovery. The design should focus especially on the package’s visual attributes, the material selection, and the package´s waste sorting related functions.

Suitability of poly(butylene succinate) as a coating for paperboard convenience food packaging

ABSTRACT Take out and convenience food packaging has seen rapid growth in recent years, particularly in the last few months due to restrictions of in-restaurant dining. Paper-based packaging is often thought to be a more sustainable option to plastics. However, paper-based food packaging materials generally require supplemental treatments, such as applications of perfluorinated chemicals and petroleum-based plastics to improve performance. These are effective but limit sustainable end-of-life options (e.g., recycling and composting). Landfill diversion strategies are needed to divert food packaging waste as consumer demand for ready-to-eat (RTE) convenience meal kits and single-use packaging continues to increase municipal solid waste accumulation. This investigation evaluated the suitability of poly(butylene succinate; PBS) as a direct-melt coating on recycled paperboard for grease resistance in microwave rapid reheat and heat and hold convenience food packaging applications. This research demonstrates PBS as a viable alternative to perfluorinated chemicals and petroleum polymers with a more sustainable end-of-life option due to its oil migration resistance at elevated temperatures and compostability properties.

Electrospun nanofiber from various source of expanded polystyrene (EPS) waste and their characterization as potential air filter media

This paper reported on the fabrication of nanofibrous membranes from various sources of expanded polystyrene (EPS) waste using electrospinning technique and their application as air filter media. The filter membranes were made from four EPS waste sources, i.e. food packaging, EPS craft, instant noodle cup, and electronic packaging. The properties of the membranes fabricated from those sources were compared to obtain the best EPS waste source for air filter application. To make the precursor solutions, those samples were dissolved in d-limonene:DMF with the concentration of 15, 20, and 25 wt%. The solid EPS density, solution viscosity, and surface tension were measured. The fiber diameter and morphology of nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for each EPS variation. The fabricated membrane properties (crystallinity, wettability, and mechanical strength) and filtration properties (pressure drop, PM2.5 filtration efficiency, and quality factor) were fully characterized and analyzed. Homogeneous fiber diameter with various morphologies (beaded, wrinkled, and smooth fiber) were obtained from all samples with hydrophobic to super-hydrophobic surface (water contact angle ranging from 106 to 153°). Also, the EPS solid density affected the solution viscosity with the expression of η = 0.132 ρ0.29, which then affected the fabricated membrane packing density, porosity, and mechanical properties. Overall, the experimental results showed that all EPS nanofiber filters had great potential as an air filter media. The EPS filter made from food packaging waste with the solution concentration of 15 wt% exhibited the highest efficiency and quality factor of 99.99% and 0.15 Pa−1, respectively.

Analysing material and embodied environmental flows of an Australian university — Towards a more circular economy

Humans are extracting and consuming unprecedented quantities of materials from the crust of the Earth. Contributing to this consumption, university campuses require large amounts of materials to operate. This offers opportunities for the implementation of circular economy principles that optimise material use and demonstrate best practice to future generations of decision makers, globally.This paper uses the Parkville campus of the University of Melbourne as a single revelatory case study to quantify its material flow for 2017. We use extremely disaggregated procurement data of 11 555 purchases of materials, mapped against 189 different material archetypes to estimate material inflows. Material outflows are sourced directly from the waste management contractor of the University. We also quantify the embodied energy, water, and greenhouse gas emissions of all inflows, using environmentally extended input-output analysis.Results show that procurement-related inflows tend to represent a small share (∼4%) of the total material flows (2 280 Gg), but result in significant environmental effects due to the nature of the materials (e.g. electronics, cabling, photovoltaic panels, furniture, etc.). The modelled procurement-related purchases result in 22 587 GJ of energy, 1 477 GgCO2e of greenhouse gas emissions and 30 891 kL of water, and 3.46 MAUD in cost, annually. Yet, the majority of material flows on campus tend to be generated by non-procurement-related drivers, notably food and food packaging waste resulting from retail on and off campus. Based on these findings, the paper recommends a series of actions that universities and large organisations can adopt to transition to a more circular economy.

Environmental assessment of the food packaging waste management system in Spain: Understanding the present to improve the future

One-way packaging can represent up to half the environmental impacts of the food value chain and thus optimising its management is essential. Collective selective waste collection managed by authorised organisations (Extended Producer Responsibility, EPR), with or without Deposit-Refund Systems (DRS) are alternatives implemented at European level to handle this problem. Since there is no single simple formula that can be applied to every waste management system, this case study is focused on the entire Spanish model of one-way food packaging waste management, from collection of each fraction in specific containers to final treatment, considering eight different materials. For the analysis, six different impact categories were considered: abiotic depletion potential, global warming potential, acidification potential, eutrophication potential, ozone depletion potential and photochemical ozone formation. Results reveal that the recycling stage is the main stage contributing to the environmental impacts, but the environmental savings related to the recovery of materials in this stage compensates these loads and the system must be considered advantageous for the environment. By contrast, sorting plants present the lowest contributions and is the least significant stage. Significant environmental improvements (close to 10%) would be achieved by addressing the total bulk collection flow to mechanical-biological treatment and increasing the selective collection of light and glass packaging waste. This study can serve to identify common drivers that contribute significantly to the development of an integrated approach to waste packaging management and as baseline for comparison studies with alternative waste recovery technologies and systems.

Quantities, environmental footprints and beliefs associated with household food waste in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The objectives of this research were to identify the quantities and global warming, acidification and eutrophication potentials associated with household food waste in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In parallel, this study investigated perceptions related to food waste and using the quality function deployment for environment model, correlated reasons for discarding food waste and beliefs associated with food waste. Based on this study, it is estimated that around 2.8 kg of food waste is disposed of by the average household every week. Global warming, acidification and eutrophication potentials associated with household food waste are, on average, 3.49 kg CO2e/week, 2.42 g SO2e/week and 8.70 g PO4e/week, respectively. Also, Bosnian households discard over 80 different pieces of food packaging waste weekly, where plastic packaging is the most dominant packing type. The highest ranked reason for discarding food is linked to plate leftovers. In general, Bosnian citizens feel guilty when they waste food.

Sustainability of animal origin food waste in Serbia

This research analysed attitudes related to food waste sustainability and estimated amounts of animal origin food waste and food packaging waste discarded in Serbia. The field survey covered 494 respondents from Belgrade, Serbia. Results present their degree of agreement with nine selected food waste sustainability statements and their reported quantities of discarded animal origin food waste and food packaging waste. Our study showed respondents have a higher rate of agreement related to the negative social and environmental dimensions of food waste, while they have no opinions associated with the economic dimensions. Regarding animal origin food waste quantities, it is estimated that households dispose around 200 g of waste every week (11.3 kg per year) and slightly under 30 different pieces of food packaging. On an annual basis, 7,234 tons of CO2 emissions can be associated with animal origin food waste and 706.4 tons with food packaging waste in Serbia.