Assessing the Technological Maturity of Vegetable Protein-Based Biodegradable Packaging Material Production

• Main Authors: Contreras, Stephanie Red L., Jimenez, Jeremy Joseph C., Lagundi, Krizel Ann L., Llanto, Kim Russel Q.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2021
• Subjects: plastic alternatives; bioplastic; mechanical properties; plastic pollution
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/conf_shsrescon/2021/paper_see/20; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/conf_shsrescon/article/1668/viewcontent/SEE__Assessing_the_Technological_Maturity_of_Vegetable_Protein_Based.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

The insurgence of plastic waste has posed a detrimental challenge to the environment. Despite actions taken, the plastic problem persists, giving rise to several other issues affecting life on Earth. One of the identified solutions to avert this is to create a biodegradable alternative that would limit plastic dependency and limit the pressure on the environment. In this paper, the current vegetable protein-based packaging industry was explored. This includes the emergence of biodegradable films, innovations applied in their development, and market adoption barriers. This also considers synthesizing the developed films' pertinent properties as a vital component to knowing whether it satisfies its purpose as intended. From a set of established criteria, a narrative review was conducted on 40 selected published journal articles from the Elsevier-Science Direct database on vegetable proteinbased biodegradable packaging (PBBP) material. The findings of the study present a wide range of credible alternatives exhibiting competitive properties. While PBBP is still not at par with conventional plastics, the defined gaps in this sector could be a stepping stone for future studies to focus on developing low-cost methods and materials while giving equal importance to durability and biodegradability, hence, a broader scale for PBBP adoption.