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Plastic is used to produce many packaging materials. While plastics are found in all major municipal solid waste categories, the containers and packaging category had the most plastic at over 14.5 million tons in 2018, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Source: National Institute for Food and Agriculture
By Rachel Dotson, Public Affairs Specialist (Social Media)
Photo: Courtesy
While plastic is strong and durable, it is generally produced from non-renewable sources and does not break down easily in the environment. USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) supports research and Extension efforts at Land-grant Universities working to find sustainable eco-friendly plastic alternatives.
NIFA-Funded Projects
The Ohio State University researchers in the Food Science and Technology Department have been testing the use of spent coffee grounds (SCG) – coffee waste – as a sustainable alternative to make compostable packaging materials. Spent coffee grounds are discarded as waste and have a negative impact on the environment. This research generated a SCG-based plasticizer that can be used to produce bio-based plastics for food packaging use, replacing petroleum-based plastics.
Researchers at South Dakota State University have created a strong, sustainable and flexible packaging material that biodegrades relatively quickly and is made from agricultural residues. For this project, the researchers extracted cellulose fibers from the avocado peel to create a powdered peel extract. The extract was then modified to make biodegradable packaging films that were five times stronger than traditional packaging films.
Penn State University researchers are working to create stronger paper bags as an alternative to plastic bags. Paper bags are a popular alternative to reduce the environmental impacts caused by using plastics, but they have shorter lifespans due to their low durability, particularly when wet. This study focused on a process for creating paper bags durable enough to be used multiple times and then broken down chemically, recycling them for biofuel.
