Production Of Packaging Materials Research Articles

Characteristics of Bio-plastics for Fresh Product Packaging Materials

Characteristics of Bio-plastics for Fresh Product Packaging Materials

Bio-inspired fabrication of thin films via surface amidation of TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanocrystals for improved UV-shielding properties

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation impacts various aspects of human beings, and there has been significant interest in membrane materials with UV shielding. However, conventional ultraviolet shielding materials are typically petroleum-based polymers like polyethylene, which pose challenges in terms of degradation and reusability, leading to environmental pollution and other issues. The development of environmentally friendly bio-based UV shielding film materials from wood fiber raw materials holds immense importance for sustainable development. In this study, TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanocellulose crystals (TOCNC) were utilized as the starting material to obtain modified nanocellulose suspension through amination with aniline and acetamide. Subsequently, nanocellulose films were prepared and characterized for their morphology and structure analysis. With the presence of carboxyl groups on TOCNC along with the incorporation of functional groups such as benzene rings, the absorption rate of the TOCNC composite film reaches 93.2 % across the entire ultraviolet absorption spectrum, significantly enhancing its UV shielding performance. The proposed film exhibits great potential for applications in UV-sensitive food packaging, electronic product packaging materials, plastic films, etc.

Development and Optimization of the Extrusion of Potato Peel–Based Biocomposite Films

ABSTRACTSide streams from the agricultural and food industries are considered an interesting alternative source for the production of packaging materials due to their composition. However, their use often involves complex and energy‐intensive extraction of individual components. Therefore, this study investigated the application of entire potato peels, without prior extraction, to produce extruded films. Potato peels (PP) and biobased polybutylene succinate adipate (BioPBS) at 1:0, 3:2, 1:1 and 2:3 ratios were used to produce pellets and films in a two‐stage extrusion process. The influence of PP concentration, the addition of maleic anhydride and tartaric acid as compatibilizers and the addition of carnauba wax on the film properties were characterized in terms of morphological, mechanical, physicochemical and thermal properties. Films with a high PP content (50%–100%) showed weak mechanical properties. However, increasing the BioPBS content to PP/PBS 2:3 resulted in a significant increase in tensile strength and elongation at break to 6.20 MPa and 38.09%, respectively, and significantly reduced the water vapour permeability of the film to 5.5 × 10−6 gm/m2 d Pa. The use of 1% maleic anhydride had no significant effect on tensile strength (6.23 MPa), but further increased the elasticity to 65.48%, with no additional effect on barrier properties. The addition of 0.5% tartaric acid showed a similar elongation at break (56.23%) while significantly increasing the tensile strength to 6.56 MPa. The incorporation of 5% carnauba wax increased the surface hydrophobicity of the films from 69.5° to 99.7°, but at the expense of a decrease in mechanical properties.

Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Properties of Polyvinyl Alcohol Biocomposite Films Containing Ferulic Acid and Cellulose Extracted from Robinia Pseudoacacia Pods

ABSTRACT Capitalizing on invasive plant species and stopping their aggressive spread might be achieved by using them as a renewable source of useful products such as cellulose. The study aimed to develop new cellulose-based food packaging materials with antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. The cellulose was extracted from the invasive plant species Robinia pseudoacacia pods, crosslinked with citric acid, used as reinforcement for polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and functionalized with ferulic acid (FA). The obtained materials were characterized by XRD, ATR-FTIR, contact angle and SEM. The materials exhibited low solubility in water and the swelling degree was proportional to the FA content. The FA release from the matrix was assessed by HPLC and the antioxidant profile by CUPRAC, FRAP, and TEAC methods. The obtained materials inhibited the growth of bacteria, yeasts and molds, being especially active on Gram-positive bacteria and yeasts. Overall, the most promising formulation for further developing new packaging materials for products with water activity less than 0.95 was the one with the highest FA content.

Increasing The Competitiveness Of Msmes In Parongpong District Through The Use Of E-Commerce And Branding Strategies

The purpose of this program is to develop modules and training modules developed to improve the performance of MSMEs in Parongpong District. Identification of partner problems is carried out through document studies, interviews, and questionnaire dissemination. Based on the analysis of partner problems, there are several problems that cause MSMEs in Parongpong District to not utilize e-commerce media as their marketing media, namely: (1) Do not have knowledge and skills in using e-commerce; (2) Products that are not ready to be marketed in terms of branding, packaging that is not yet attractive, and product durability; (3) Do not understand how to use SEO (search engine optimization) in increasing product visibility in e-commerce. If these three main problems can be solved, it is expected that MSMEs can compete on various e-commerce platforms that exist today. The solution provided to partners is to develop the necessary modules and provide training for; (1) improve skills in using several e-commerce platforms; (2) increase knowledge and ability in creating branding, making attractive packaging, and preserving industry-standard products; (3) improve knowledge and skills in the use of SEO (search engine optimization). The impact resulting from this training is that MSMEs gain competencies to increase the competitiveness of marketed products. The supporting capacity provided includes the availability of (1) MSME product branding materials; (2) product packaging materials; (3) marketing materials; and (4) SEO utilization materials.

Beyond waste: Transforming wheat straw into oxygen and UV‐resistant cellulose films

AbstractRegenerated cellulose membrane is a biomaterial obtained by activating, dissolving, solidifying, and regenerating cellulose powder using solvents of different polarities. It has the characteristics of high oxygen resistance and high strength. However, its low water vapor barrier and single function limit its application. In order to improve the water resistance of regenerated cellulose membranes and endow them with UV resistance, lignin was extracted from waste wheat straw using formic acid method. The extracted formic acid lignin (FAL) was added to the cellulose solution to prepare a series of regenerated lignocellulosic membranes (RC‐FAL) with different lignin contents. The results indicate that lignin can not only improve the water vapor barrier, tensile strength, and water resistance of the film, but also enhance the oxygen barrier and UV absorption of the film. Compared with pure cellulose film, the contact angle of lignocellulose film can be increased by 66.2%, the UV absorption rate can reach 100%, and the oxygen transmission coefficient has no significant effect. In this paper, a new kind of biological packaging material with high oxygen resistance, strong ultraviolet absorption, and water resistance was prepared by recycling waste wheat straw, it has a broad application prospect in the industrial production of packaging materials.

Биодеградируемые полимерные материалы на основе поливинилового спирта, крахмала и производных целлюлозы

The preparation of biodegradable composite materials based on polyvinyl alcohol, starch and cellulose is described. The resulting bioplastics are a promising basis for use as reinforcing polymer systems of cellulose-containing materials used for the production of packaging materials for various purposes. It has been shown that the use of starch and cellulose inclusions makes it possible to control the physical-mechanical properties of composites and obtain rapidly degradable nature-like materials for practical use under environmental protection conditions.

Research on the Design Method of Cushioning Packaging for Products with Unbalanced Mass

The purpose of this work is to provide support for the design of cushioning packaging materials for products with unbalanced mass distributions. A mathematical model of the cushioning packaging system is established and the fourth-order Runge–Kutta method is used to compare the vibration response of products with balanced and unbalanced mass. Finite element simulations are conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method of optimizing the design of cushioning packaging materials for products with unbalanced mass distributions using various damping materials. The simulation results are verified by experiments. The results show that the magnitude of the mass offset has a large effect on the acceleration of damped cushioning packaging systems for products with unbalanced mass. The vibration response can be corrected by appropriately increasing the damping coefficient at the mass offset end, thus providing an effective method of optimizing the design of cushioning packaging for products with unbalanced mass.

Life cycle assessment of multiple dispensing systems used for cosmetic product packaging

AbstractWorldwide, the packaging industry for consumer product goods, including personal care and beauty products, generates over $25 billion in sales. An extremely high environmental impact follows the large demand in the industry. Almost 70% of the plastic waste generated in the cosmetics market is not recyclable. Sustainability in the beauty industry is complex and multifaceted, requiring an evaluation of all factors. Packaging plays an important role in the cosmetics market, and considering the amount of waste it generates, it is essential to understand packaging dispensing systems from an environmental perspective. This study investigated the environmental impacts of three dispensing systems commonly used for cosmetic product packaging: the general dip‐tube pump, the airless pump and the bag‐in‐bottle format. A cradle‐to‐grave life cycle assessment (LCA) was performed to quantitatively analyse the environmental burden of those three different dispensing systems, using a facial cream as a test case. The LCA analysed the environmental impacts generated by the packaging materials and incorporated the environmental impacts created by the facial cream residue left behind in each dispensing system. The system boundary of this LCA included the material production, intermediate processes, distribution, use and end‐of‐life phases of the packaged facial cream products. The LCA complied with the ISO standards, 14,040:2006 and 14,044:2006, and LCA software SimaPro v 9.0 was used to analyse the results. The life cycle inventories used in this LCA included US‐EI 2.2, USLCI and Ecoinvent 3. TRACI 2.1, including ten mid‐point life cycle impact categories, was chosen as the life cycle impact analysis method. Comparative and contribution analyses were conducted to interpret the LCA data. The comparative analysis demonstrated that the airless pump packaging system had less environmental burden than the other two packaging systems for all the life cycle impact categories. The bag‐in‐bottle alternative had the highest environmental impact for eight of the ten impact categories. The contribution analysis results revealed that the packaging material production phase most contributed to the environmental burden of all three packaging formats, followed by the lotion residue.

Characterization of Fungal Foams from Edible Mushrooms Using Different Agricultural Wastes as Substrates for Packaging Material

Agricultural wastes and leaves, which are classified as lignocellulosic biomass, have been used as substrates in the production of fungal foams due to the significant growth of the mushroom industry in recent years. Foam derived from fungi can be utilized in a variety of industrial applications, including the production of packaging materials. Here, white oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus florida) and yellow oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus citrinopileatus) were cultivated on rice husk, sawdust, sugarcane bagasse, and teak leaves. Fungal foams were produced after 30 days of incubation, which were then analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal analysis (TGA), and chemical structure using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Mechanical testing examined the material's hardness, resilience, and springiness, and water absorption tests were used to determine the durability of the fungal foams. Our findings demonstrated that fungal foams made from rice husk and teak leaves in both mycelium species showed better mechanical properties, thermal stability, and minimal water absorption compared to the other substrates, and can thus have great potential as efficient packaging materials.

Optimizing the environmental sustainability of alternative post-harvest scenarios for fresh vegetables: A case study in Spain

The aim of this research is to define different scenarios that optimize the environmental sustainability of the post-harvest stage of vegetable products (cauliflower and brassicas mix). These scenarios considered different packaging materials; energy generation technologies for the processing plant (standard electricity mix vs. renewable options); organic waste management (composting, anaerobic digestion, and animal feeding); and refrigerated transportation (local, national, and international, using diesel, natural gas, and hybrid trucks and railway). The analysis has been carried out based on a foreground inventory provided by a company that operating internationally, in accordance with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14,040 methodological framework and following the latest Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) protocols. The analysis describes four midpoint categories, single score (SS) using EF3.0 life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) methodology and the Cumulative Energy Demand. The carbon footprint (CF) of the post-harvest stage for a base case scenario ranged between 0.24 and 0.29 kg CO2 eq/kg of vegetable, with a strong contribution associated to the production of packaging materials (57.8–65.2 %) and the transport stage (national range in conventional diesel vehicles) (31.5–38.0 %). Comparatively, lower emissions were associated with the energy consumed at the processing factory (up to 4.1 %) while the composting of organic waste management produced some impact savings (up to −3.5 %). Although certain differences were observed, the dominance of the transport stage and the packaging materials is sustained in all the other environmental impact and energy categories evaluated. The most effective measures to reduce the environmental footprint of the post-harvest stage involve: i) using reusable packaging materials; ii) reducing the transport range and using vehicles running on natural gas or hybrid technologies; iii) the incorporation of renewable energy to supply the factory; and iv) the utilization of the organic residues in higher value applications such as animal feeding. Implementing the measures proposed in this study would reduce the post-harvest CF of fresh vegetables by 90 %.

Product Packaging by E-commerce Platforms: Impact of COVID-19 and Proposal for Circular Model to Reduce the Demand of Virgin Packaging.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43615-022-00231-4.

Poly(butylene-succinate)-based blends with enhanced oxygen permeability

Poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) is a biodegradable polymer produced from renewable raw materials and is widely used in the production of packaging materials. Among important features, oxygen permeability is crucial for “breathing” packaging materials (such as packaging for medical devices sterilized with gaseous ethylene oxide). Recently, poly(butylene succinate-dilinolene succinate) (PBS-DLS) copolymers containing long chains of fatty acids and showing excellent elasticity were synthesized. In this work, bio-based polymer blends of PBS and PBS-DLS copolymer with an aliphatic-aromatic poly(butylene terephthalate-butylene adipate) (PBAT) (Ecoflex) were prepared in order to further improve their oxygen permeability while maintaining mechanical stability. PBS and PBS-DLS copolymer containing 90 wt% of hard segments and 10 wt% of soft segments, respectively, were used for blends preparation with 10 wt% of PBAT. The chemical structure was analyzed using infrared spectroscopy and thermal properties were determined with differential scanning calorimetry. The introduction of PBAT to the blends did not affect their melting temperatures. PBS-based blends were miscible at the molecular level based on single Tg value calculated from Fox equation and uniform fracture surface morphology from scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Importantly, the oxygen permeability of PBS-DLS/PBAT blend was comparable to non-biodegradable high-density polyethylene (HDPE) Tyvek used for medical devices packaging.

АНАЛІЗ ВПЛИВУ ВХІДНИХ ФАКТОРІВ НА ПОКАЗНИКИ ПАКУВАЛЬНОГО МАТЕРІАЛУ З МЕТОЮ ВИЗНАЧЕННЯ ОБЛАСТІ ОПТИМУМУ

A set of computer technologies has been used to find conditions for the production of packaging materials with specified properties without the content of environmentally harmful additives. To achieve this goal at this stage of research conducted a detailed analysis of mathematical models created at the previous stage of this work. Based on the results of the analysis at the next stage of this work it is planned to develop optimal conditions for creating new types of packaging materials with specified properties.

Packaging environmental impact on seafood supply chains: A review of life cycle assessment studies

AbstractPackaging is fundamental for food preservation and transportation but generates an environmental burden from its production and end‐of‐life management. This review evaluates packaging contribution to the environmental performance of seafood products. Life cycle assessment (LCA) studies were evaluated by both qualitative and quantitative analysis. The qualitative analysis assessed how direct (e.g., packaging material) and indirect impacts (e.g., influence on seafood loss and waste) have been considered, while the quantitative analysis evaluated packaging contribution to products’ weight and climate change impact. Qualitative analysis revealed that seafood LCAs focus mainly on direct environmental impacts arising from packaging materials, for which some articles conducted sensitivity analysis to assess materials substitution. Recycling was found to be the most common recommendation to diminish direct potential environmental impacts arising from packaging end‐of‐life. However, standardized recovery rates and other end‐of‐life options (e.g., reuse), should be considered. Quantitative analysis revealed that cans' production contributes significantly to the overall climate change impact for canned products. On average, it contributes to 42% of a product's climate change impact and 27% of a product's weight. Packaging has a lower contribution when considering freezing, chilling, and other post‐harvesting processing. It represents on average less than 5% of a product's climate change impact (less than 1 kg CO2 eq/kg) and 6% of a product's weight. Packaging material production is more relevant to aluminum, tinplate, and glass than for plastic and paper. Therefore, it is essential to accurately include these materials and their associated processes in inventories to improve the environmental assessment of seafood products.

Obtaining lactic acid from oat husks

Polylactides are increasingly being used as biodegradable polymers in the production of packaging materials. It has been recently proposed to obtain a polylactide precursor – lactic acid – from inexpensive cellulose-containing raw materials. For the first time, the authors of the present work used oat husks for this purpose. Preliminary chemical treatment of oat husks was carried out in two stages using dilute solutions of nitric acid and sodium hydroxide to obtain technical cellulose, which was further subject to enzymatic hydrolysis. The as-obtained glucose enzymatic hydrolysate was fermented by the producer Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus . The effect of the active acidity of the medium, activation of the starter culture and dosage of the yeast extract on the efficiency of lactic acid fermentation was investigated. According to the obtained results, the active acidity of the culture should be maintained at a pH level of 6.5 during the entire fermentation process, which allows the yield of lactic acid to be increased by 1.7 times compared to the process without adjusting the pH. It was shown that the activation of the starter culture using a glucose medium instead of a milk medium, which switches the fermentation process from lactose conversion to glucose conversion, increases the rate of lactic acid fermentation by 2.2 times and the fermentation constant by 2.7 times. It was established that the introduction of yeast extract into the medium in an amount of 1% intensifies lactic acid fermentation: the process of lactic acid fermentation accelerates by 1.8 times; the fermentation constant increases by 1.4 times; the yield of lactic acid increases by 9.6% compared to the control thus reaching 76.7%.

Carbon footprint of different methods of coffee preparation

Roasted and ground coffee in Italy is currently dominating in consumption and revenues. However, the portioned coffee market is recording continuous and constant growth notwithstanding a great concern about the unnecessary consumption of non-renewable resources and huge generation of often aluminum-polluted wastes. The aim of this work was to assess the cradle-to-grave carbon footprint of a 40-mL cup of coffee, prepared using different brewing methods (i.e., a 3-cup Moka pot, and three single-serving coffee machines) and distinct formats (i.e., 250-g vacuum flexible bags, 44-mm Easy Serving Espresso pods, and Nespresso®-type capsules), in compliance with the Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 2050 standard method. The production of one cup of coffee gave rise to 45-57 or 47-59 g CO2e when using the Moka pot heated by an induction- or gas-fired stove, 74-96 g CO2e when using the espresso coffee machine, 72-92 g CO2e when using the pod coffee machine, and 57-73 g CO2e when using the capsule coffee machine, whether the post-consumer wastes were incinerated or disposed of in landfills. Moreover, by using coffee pods or capsules, the contribution of the packaging material production and post-consumer waste disposal increased up to represent the secondary share of the overall GHG emissions. Based on these estimates, the environmentally aware consumer should be conscious that the preparation of a cup of coffee with a coffee pod or capsule machine would result in extra emissions of 27.6 or 12.6 g CO2e with respect to those emitted with an induction Moka pot, respectively. By referring to the current Italian consumption of 80-million coffee cups per day, such extra GHG emissions would equal to those emitted by a Euro 5 city car (ca. 100 g CO2e/km) traveling around the Earth's equator as many as 551 or 252 times per day, respectively.

КОМПЬЮТЕРНАЯ СИСТЕМА ДЛЯ СРАВНЕНИЯ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИК ЖИЗНЕННОГО ЦИКЛА УПАКОВОЧНЫХ МАТЕРИАЛОВ

A computer system was described for comparison of life cycle characteristics of packaging materials. The system allows, at given requirements for packaging materials, to evaluate the complex of properties of packaging materials, to calculate specific and generalized criteria for evaluating packaging materials and to provide the user with the opportunity to choose the most suitable packaging material based on the results. The developed system includes a library of customizable criteria, a database of rules for selecting packages, databases of life cycle stages, packages, packaging materials, and characteristics of packaging materials. The system was tested on the example of comparative analysis of the process of production of raw materials for packages and manufacturing packages, which may include fresh raw materials and recycled resources. Testing results confirmed the computer system operability and possibility of using it for a comprehensive assessment of the life cycle of the production of packaging materials taking into account environmental safety, consumer and economic characteristics.

STRATEGI GREEN PRODUCT GUNA MENINGKATKAN KINERJA USAHA KECIL MENENGAH BERBASIS RAMAH LINGKUNGAN

Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) product innovation in order to support the concept of green products must be able to convince consumers. Product innovations which have been made that are not in accordance with the tastes of consumers, so the goods are less attractive to consumers. SMEs have difficulties in adjusting products that are environmentally friendly and acceptable to consumers. The high cost in innovating also results in SMEs who hesitate to modify the product. This study aimed to determine, describe, and analyze the effect of green products on the performance of SMEs in Sidoarjo. The first stage was to map green product criterias that affect the performance of environmentally-based SMEs, then analyse the effect of green products on the performance of environmentally-based SMEs. The method used in determining this effect was Partial Least Square (PLS). From the results of data processing, there were factors that influence the performance of environmentally friendly SMEs, namely the green product factor. Then a critical success factor analysis was carried out on the green product factor to determine the strategies that must be taken by environmentally friendly SMEs. The results of the analysis obtained strategy recommendations in improving the performance of SMEs were the strategy of selecting raw materials, choosing energy sources, using the amount of raw materials, and choosing product packaging materials. The strategy was in the context of developing environmentally friendly SMEs so they can improve SME competitiveness.

Study of Drug Bottles Using Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)

There is a great number of packaging materials, such as bottles and boxes, are made of plastics (polymers). Additives such as plasticizers, antioxidants, antistatic agents, and lubricants may be used for the production of packaging materials. The worst effect of plastic production is deterioration of the environment. Recycling solves this problem and the initial step is identification and classification of the polymers and determination of different elements present in it. In this research, spectroscopic analyzes were performed using Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) for plastic materials samples of drug containers that collected from manufacturing factories located at Khartoum city, Sudan. The samples were collected before and after used, were irradiated by Nd: YAG laser at 266 nm, repetition rate 2Hz, with pulse energy of 80mJ. The recorded spectra of the samples were analyzed using National Institute Standard and Technology (NIST). and Origin Lab Pro 9 data analysis software. All elements present in plastic drug bottles were detected using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy. The elements that detected are (Ca, Cd , Ra, Ac, W, V, Na, Pm, Cl, K, , Ce, Ar, Nd, Ac, Tc, Sc, Li, Pa, and Pb).