Plant-Origin Feedstock Applications in Fully Green Food Packaging: The Potential for Tree-Free Paper and Plant-Origin Bio-Plastics in the Baltic Sea Region

Zita Markevičiūtė and Visvaldas Varžinskas
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Zita Markevičiūtė: Centre for Packaging Innovations and Research, Kaunas University of Technology, LT-44249 Kaunas, Lithuania
Visvaldas Varžinskas: Institute of Environmental Engineering, Kaunas University of Technology, LT-51424 Kaunas, Lithuania

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 12, 1-15

Abstract: Paper and plastic are the main materials used in food packaging. In the context of climate change, the importance of tree conservation and the mitigation of the negative environmental impacts caused by fossil consumption and deforestation is greater than ever before. This article reviews the potential of plant-origin feedstock from the Baltic Sea region for use in non-wood-fibre and bio-origin plastic food packaging production. It also presents a systematised literature review of the environmental impacts and applications of tree-free paper, plant-origin plastics, and natural-fibre-reinforced bio-composites in fully green food packaging. The results reveal that beneficial environmental impacts are achieved if waste or by-products are used as feedstock. While the production volumes of alternative materials in Europe are small (0.25% of paper is made of materials other than wood, and the share of bio-plastic is 0.9%), we found a large demand and potential for growth. The biggest volumes of natural fibre feedstock in Baltic Sea region countries are generated from wheat. Wheat straw, which is a by-product, has a production volume of 68.71 million tons and is potentially a significant non-wood-paper food packaging source. Agricultural waste generated from sugar beet, maize, potato, and wheat is an environmentally beneficial by-product that could be used for bio-plastic food packaging production.

Keywords: fully green food packaging; natural fibre food packaging; natural fibre applications; food packaging; sustainable packaging (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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