Ncube Lindani Koketso, Ude Albert Uchenna, Ogunmuyiwa Enoch Nifise, Zulkifli Rozli, Beas Isaac Nongwe
Department of Mechanical, Energy and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology (FET), Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST), Private Mail Bag 16, Palapye, Botswana.
Department of Chemical, Materials &Metallurgical Engineering Academic, FET, BIUST, Private Mail Bag 16, Palapye, Botswana.
Materials (Basel). 2020 Nov 6;13(21):4994. doi: 10.3390/ma13214994.
Plastics have remained the material of choice, and after serving their intended purpose, a large proportion ends up in the environment where they persist for centuries. The packaging industry is the largest and growing consumer of synthetic plastics derived from fossil fuels. Food packaging plastics account for the bulk of plastic waste that are polluting the environment. Additionally, given the fact that petroleum reserves are finite and facing depletion, there is a need for the development of alternative materials that can serve the same purpose as conventional plastics. This paper reviews the function of packaging materials and highlights the future potential of the adoption of green materials. Biopolymers have emerged as promising green materials although they still have very low market uptake. Polylactic acid (PLA) has emerged as the most favoured bioplastic. However, it is limited by its high cost and some performance drawbacks. Blending with agricultural waste and natural fillers can result in green composites at low cost, low greenhouse gas emissions, and with improved performance for food packaging applications. The continent of Africa is proposed as a rich source of fibres and fillers that can be sustainably exploited to fabricate green composites in a bid to achieve a circular economy.
塑料一直是首选材料，在完成其预定用途后，很大一部分最终进入环境中，并在那里持续存在数百年。包装行业是源自化石燃料的合成塑料的最大且不断增长的消费领域。食品包装塑料占污染环境的塑料垃圾的大部分。此外，鉴于石油储备有限且面临枯竭，需要开发能够替代传统塑料、发挥相同作用的材料。本文回顾了包装材料的功能，并强调了采用绿色材料的未来潜力。生物聚合物已成为有前景的绿色材料，尽管其市场占有率仍然很低。聚乳酸（PLA）已成为最受青睐的生物塑料。然而，它受到高成本和一些性能缺陷的限制。与农业废弃物和天然填料共混可以低成本、低温室气体排放地制造出绿色复合材料，并且在食品包装应用中性能得到改善。非洲大陆被认为是纤维和填料的丰富来源，可以对其进行可持续开发，以制造绿色复合材料，从而实现循环经济。
