Sustainable Perspectives of Disposable Tableware: A Systematic Review

Ana Pantović (), Nikola Tomić, Tanja Petrović and Ilija Djekić
Additional contact information
Ana Pantović: Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Nemanjina 6, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia
Nikola Tomić: Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Nemanjina 6, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia
Tanja Petrović: Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Nemanjina 6, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia
Ilija Djekić: Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Nemanjina 6, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 4, 1-27

Abstract: This review provides a comprehensive overview of studies that have investigated different types of disposable tableware. First, the authors used text mining with the bibliometric analysis tool VOSViewer to identify the leading research streams in disposable tableware research. A systematic literature search was then conducted in two databases (Scopus and Web of Science) using a series of appropriate keywords. The review followed PRISMA guidelines to improve the transparency and quality of reporting. A total of 816 articles were screened by title and abstract, leaving 78 reports for full-text search. A total of 40 articles were included in this systematic review and categorised into studies focusing on the environment, food safety, or research perspectives, matching with the clusters identified through text mining. The studies in the environmental cluster either conducted life cycle assessments or investigated the biodegradation of different tableware items. The studies in the food safety cluster investigated the presence of substances that pose a health risk due to their potential migration. Finally, the last cluster included studies that investigated the possibilities of using new materials to produce more sustainable tableware, and a group of them also carried out sensory evaluations as a measure of their quality aspect. Overall, the results show that the development of a new generation of sustainable cutlery requires a holistic approach that considers environmental, food safety, and quality aspects.

Keywords: tableware; cutlery; disposable; environment; life cycle assessment; food safety; sensory evaluation; biodegradation; systematic review (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/4/1434/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/4/1434/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:4:p:1434-:d:1587540

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().