Monash University’s research team finds biopolymer-based packaging film to be a sustainable alternative to plastic food packaging.
GOOD packaging comes in handy to ensure our food or beverage are protected from contamination and to maintain the desired quality of the product. However, with engineering advancements, some of these packaging comes in multi-layered structures, making it difficult to recycle (1).
While the lifestyle switch in light of the Covid-19 pandemic has also changed the way foods are sold, it is alarming that in a 2019 study commissioned by WWF, Malaysia was found to have high annual per capita plastic use (2), ranking second highest in plastic waste generated in Asia. The current rate of plastic waste production also far exceeds the rate of plastic degradation.
As such, efforts to reduce plastic such as recycling is important, but recycling plastic food packaging is costly and has a higher carbon footprint requiring pre-processing to remove food residues prior to the recycling process. Ironically, virgin plastic is cheaper and easier to obtain (3).
Therefore, to tackle plastic pollution, an innovative packaging material made from sustainable and biodegradable materials is essential: This is where biopolymer-based packaging film comes in.
Made from sustainable raw materials with a simplified end-of-life disposal, it is suggested as an alternative packaging to reduce global dependency on fossil fuel resources for packaging.
‘This alternative food packaging has short-term durability to keep the product fresh, while preserving its rapid biodegradability,’ said Dr Thoo.
“Our research project produces biopolymer film sustainable raw materials, advocating the green and sustainable approach in food production,” said Monash University Malaysia School of Science lecturer Dr Thoo Yin Yin.
She added, “It provides an alternative to single-use plastic food packaging and can be used in packaging fruits, dried food, oil and more.
“It is non-toxic and easy to use as an alternative packaging material to keep food products fresh and reduce food spoilage. Its high biodegradability allows simple disposal after usage.”
Besides, as the food processing sector contributes to 10% of Malaysia's manufacturing output, with export earnings reaching RM21.76bil in 2019 (4), this invention could provide a sustainable alternative package solution for the local food processing industry.
“We use simple film production — solvent casting methods and naturally sourced ingredients to produce sustainable food packaging. The biopolymer film is produced in a closed-loop system and fits well into the sustainable reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
“This alternative food packaging has short-term durability to keep the product fresh while preserving its rapid biodegradability,” she said.
Biopolymer-based packaging materials decompose quickly, do not produce toxic compounds and also have lower carbon emissions when recycled (Figure 1). However, biopolymer-based packaging has not yet seen widespread application due to barriers such as cost and scale.
“If looked at from a technical aspect, the existing biopolymer-based packages cannot fully match the characteristics of petroleum-based plastics.
“Therefore, our research team has applied various technologies and processing methods to modify the raw materials to produce biopolymer-based packages with properties identical to existing petroleum-based packages,” she said.
Figure 1: Life cycle of bio-packaging materials and their importance. Source: Sciencedirect, Hadidi et al. 2022 (5).
Dr Thoo added that the research team is now translating research to application.
“Feasibility tests are being conducted to better understand the biopolymer packaging properties, such as mechanical and water vapour barrier properties, by focussing on the performance test using biopolymer film in different foods.
“The research project is expected to be completed in two years,” she said.
Spearheaded by its mantra of "if you don't like it, change it," Monash University is embarking on a significant new initiative in pursuit of research excellence.
It has also placed 57th in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022.
Furthermore, its Global Excellence and Mobility Scholarship (GEMS) programme aims to bring the best and brightest PhD students to Monash University Malaysia, where they can work with top-class research teams on some of the world's core challenges.
GEMS will be offering 15 scholarships each year for the next three years and successful students will be funded for 39 months. Interested students can find out more about the fully-funded PhD scholarship here.
For more information on its postgraduate programs, visit the Monash University Malaysia Virtual Postgraduate Day on March 26, 2022 from 2pm-5pm here.
Reference:
(1) https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/20/plastic-products-recyclers-single-use
(4) https://www.mida.gov.my/publications/food-industry-in-malaysia/
(5) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0924224422000139
