My research journey, first as a PhD student and then as a scientist at VTT, has not only allowed me to immerse myself in the science of biomaterials, but it has also provided a first-hand understanding of how and where these kinds of materials can help us complete the complex puzzle of handling food packaging waste.
By Vinay Kumar
We all know that our planet is under severe environmental strain due to unsustainable consumption patterns, fueled by growing population and rapid urbanization. The e-commerce boom, convenience culture, and the globalization of supply chains have contributed to a massive demand for packaging.
In a country with a population of more than 330 million, the pace at which plastic is produced and tossed aside in the U.S. is staggering. According to a recent report from Oceana, just Amazon generated more than 200 million pounds of plastic waste in 2022鈥攁nd in the U.S. alone.
The EPA offers numbers that are even more daunting: in 2018, almost 36,000 tons of plastic was generated in municipal solid waste. Only a little over 3,000 tons were recycled while just shy of 27,000 tons ended up in landfills.
We can blame consumerism all day. However, the issues are more complex than that. The wide variety of packaging materials and designs makes it difficult to establish efficient recycling systems, leading to an ever-growing mountain of packaging waste with significant environmental and economic consequences. As research shows, since most of the currently used packaging materials have been produced from oil-based materials, fossil-based carbon emissions released into the atmosphere are rising.
Image courtesy of VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.
Multilayered Packaging Challenges Recycling Systems
Alarmingly, 70 percent of plastic produced worldwide since 1950 has been used just once before disposal, with less than 10 percent recycled, as reported by The Economist. According to Plastics Europe, about 40 percent of all plastics produced globally are used for packaging,1 and, according to research, a significant portion, 17 to 20 percent, of that packaging is particularly complex due to its multilayer construction.
The recycling of mono-component packaging stands in stark contrast to the significant complexity associated with the recycling of multilayer packaging structures. This challenge arises from the inherent difficulty in separating the multilayer packaging into its constituent elements. The presence of metallic foils or functionally distinct plastic layers further exacerbates this issue. Consequently, most of the multilayer packaging is destined for disposal or incineration, leading to a substantial strain on both natural resources and energy consumption.
Policy Pushes Towards Circularity
The escalating issue of packaging waste has garnered significant international attention, prompting numerous countries to enact targeted policies. These policies apply a multifaceted approach, including curtailment of single-use plastics, enhanced recycling infrastructure, and encouraging the use of bio-based or compostable materials as more environmentally friendly packaging options. A prime example is the European Union鈥檚 (EU) recently established circular economy action plan. This initiative underscores the transition towards a circular economic model through a combination of legislative and non-legislative measures encompassing the entire product life cycle.
Further solidifying this commitment, the European Commission proposed additional revisions to the EU Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) in November 2022. These revisions prioritize the prevention of packaging waste, the promotion of reuse and refill systems, and the ambitious goal of achieving full recyclability of all packaging materials by 2030.
Other similar initiatives include the Ellen MacArthur Foundation鈥檚 New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, launched in 2018 in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Program, and the Protecting Communities from Plastics Act, which was introduced in the U.S. Senate in January 2022.
We can continue this discussion and mull over the problem forever. However, point blank, packaging is not going anywhere. People need their household items, food needs to be packaged hygienically, and packaging should be inexpensive and reliable. The simple fact is that despite building recycling processes, educating the public, and spending on sorting, there is still much to be done to keep plastics out of landfills. Better waste management and recycling infrastructures have their own important part to play in solving the plastic waste crisis.
Another equally important avenue is to look at what kind of novel packaging solutions could be possible. This is where the adoption of plastic-like alternatives that are easier to recycle and naturally break down can be part of the answer.
Cellulose-Based Packaging Conforms to Consumer Preference
If we look at food packaging, its most important qualities are to protect the food from contamination and to be easy to recycle. From a marketing and sales standpoint, consumers like packaging that lets them see the product inside. Bread is typically packaged in a very thin plastic film that is difficult to recycle and, typically, ends up polluting the environment after its lifecycle.
In recent years, consumer preferences have also shifted towards bio-based and sustainable packaging alternatives. In 2024, the global sustainable packaging market, including sustainable glass, plastic, metal, and paper packaging solutions, is estimated to be worth around 292.71 billion U.S. dollars. It is projected to grow significantly, reaching a market value of 423.56 billion U.S. dollars in 2029. This surge in value can be attributed to the increasing awareness and adoption of sustainable packaging solutions worldwide.
Over the past two decades, a growing synergy has emerged between industry and academic research in the pursuit of sustainable packaging solutions that incorporate bio-based and biodegradable materials. Cellulose-based solutions, exhibiting promising oxygen and grease barrier properties, are gaining popularity as barrier materials in packaging applications. This is leading to an increased demand for cellulosic materials in packaging applications. The use of cellulose-based materials in food packaging is very promising and still has huge untapped potential.
It is important to note that cellulose-based films for packaging are not new. In fact, cellophane revolutionized the packaging world even before plastics came around. In the late 1950s, plastic was seen as a cheaper alternative to cellophane. There were also environmental and health concerns associated with the cellophane production process. Little did people know that the plastic that replaced cellophane overnight would have long-term environmental and health issues as well. As environmental anxieties intensify due to overflowing landfills choked with plastic products with lifespans exceeding human generations, cellophane is again emerging as a compelling alternative due to its inherent biodegradability.
When creating new cellulose-based alternatives to plastics, it is important to keep in mind that we are not creating a new environmental challenge at the expense of solving an old one, which happened when we shifted from cellophane to plastics. Therefore, cellulose-based alternatives need to be truly sustainable from the point of view of materials and the production process.
Currently, there is ongoing research in Finland aiming to make and scale cellulose-based, transparent film for food packaging applications. Developed by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, it is biodegradable, and it can also be placed in cardboard recycling along with other fiber-based packaging.
With the recent progress made in the production process of regenerated cellulose films, these films can be the true enablers of sustainable packaging. For example, VTT鈥檚 new technology for cellulose film production overcomes the environmental concerns related to cellophane production. Furthermore, combining these materials with paper simplifies the multilayer packaging structures and allows for easy recyclability and, in the best case, even mono-component packaging.
Upon completing my Bachelor鈥檚 in Pulp and Paper Technology, I was hoping to just make better paper out of pulp for the paper industry. I was not expecting to end up with a passion for biomaterials and the numerous opportunities they provide for creating a sustainable way of life.
My research journey, first as a PhD student and then as a scientist at VTT, has not only allowed me to immerse myself in the science of biomaterials, but it has also provided a first-hand understanding of how and where these kinds of materials can help us complete the complex puzzle of handling food packaging waste. | WA
Vinay Kumar is Research Team Leader and Project Manager, Cellulose Coatings and Films, for VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. He has more than 10 years of experience in research, development, and innovation in the field of cellulose-based films and coatings. For Vinay, passion lies in the idea of using forests and plant biomass as a renewable source of materials. His main focus is on replacing plastics with cellulose-based materials. He joined VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland in 2018 as a Research Scientist and is currently a Research Team Leader and Project Manager in the Biomaterials Processing and Products research area. Vinay can be reached at [email protected].
Resources
www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/plastics-material-specific-data
www.polybags.co.uk/environmentally-friendly/strategies-to-reduce-the-global-carbon-footprint-of-plastics.pdf
www.economist.com/international/2018/03/03/the-known-unknowns-of-plastic-pollution
www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/14/9/1825