Packaging bags = white pollution? Eight biodegradable packaging bags will subvert your understanding!

Plastic pollution has become a very serious pollution problem facing the whole world. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics show that from January to December 2018, the total output of plastic products nationwide reached 60.4215 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 1.1%. The frightening thing is that our lives seem to be completely inseparable from plastic packaging, and with the rise of a fast-paced lifestyle, people's dependence on plastic products is constantly increasing!

Fortunately, environmental protection issues have received attention from all sectors of society, and a large number of scientific researchers, packaging factories, and even ordinary people are constantly joining the ranks of environmental protection, and biodegradable environmentally friendly films have been successively launched. This gives us reason to expect that one day, convenient life and green environmental protection can shake hands and make peace.

Next, let's follow Shunxingyuan Packaging, a professional flexible packaging manufacturer, to learn about the stories behind the emergence of biodegradable packaging bags!

1、 Young man invents environmentally friendly beeswax packaging to replace plastic packaging

Recently, 24-year-old Frenchman Quentin came up with the idea of designing environmentally friendly packaging after a trip to Australia. During his travels in Australia, Quentin met a family who used beeswax instead of plastic packaging. After returning to France, he decided to follow the example of that Australian family and use French organic ingredients to develop a perfect beeswax packaging paper - Beeswrap.

Beeswrap replaces disposable food packaging such as plastic bags or films. Its main materials include beeswax from a Normandy beekeeping cooperative, bio-absorbable cotton, resin from Landes, and organic hemp oil from Brittany. Non-toxic, reusable, biodegradable, washable, and has a lifespan of about one year. Beeswax makes this packaging paper waterproof and breathable, and has antibacterial and antiseptic properties, helping to reduce food waste. In addition to its ecological value and freshness-preserving effect, the packaging design is also very beautiful and interesting.

Quentin's father is a beekeeper, so he has always paid attention to protecting bees and is very concerned about environmental problems caused by human consumption habits. However, Quentin believes that even if we change a little bit in our daily lives, it will have a great impact on our earth, so, starting from such small aspects, pay attention to environmental protection and be a natural "lifesaver".

2、 Environmentally friendly cellulose film made from bean dregs is launched and can be recycled

Some time ago, a research team from Nanyang Technological University used bean dregs produced during the process of making soy milk to create a more environmentally friendly cellulose film. It is reported that this type of film is not only biodegradable but can also be recycled from waste, reducing the pollution of food waste on the environment.

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the food industry's Fraser and Neave (F&N) have jointly established a new food innovation laboratory. About 30 NTU students and researchers will work closely together over the next four years to develop innovative beverage formulas, natural preservatives, and more environmentally friendly packaging.

3、 Packaging film made from corn, safe, non-toxic, and biodegradable

Not long ago, a series of pure bio-degradable products developed by Sichuan Kaiyuan Chuanyi Biotechnology Co., Ltd., a local enterprise in Mianyang City, Sichuan Province, was officially released. Among them, food packaging materials, preservation films, shopping bags, lunch boxes, and other products made from corn as raw materials attracted experts and investors from all over the country.

These products made from corn look no different from plastic, but according to the company's responsible person, their connotation is very different.

First, the raw materials are extracted from corn. These products are not only safe and non-toxic but can also be degraded into water and carbon dioxide, returning to nature and fully possessing the indicators of plastic products. Second, they are heat-resistant and can be widely used in the production or packaging of food and baby products. At present, the safety of the products has passed the strict testing of the European Union and fully meets the toxicological safety standards.

This type of degradable film product has strong versatility and can be used as agricultural covering films, various professional inner and outer packaging films, express packaging, shopping bags, storage bags, refrigerator preservation bags, food packaging materials, etc., with broad market prospects.

4、 US scientists use wood waste and crab shells to produce compostable food packaging bags

According to foreign media reports, cellulose and chitin are two of the most common biopolymers in the world, found in plant and crustacean shells (and elsewhere). Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology in the United States have now devised a way to combine the two to produce compostable food packaging bags similar to plastic bags.

Led by Professor J. Carson Meredith, the research team is producing this material by suspending cellulose nanocrystals extracted from wood and chitin nanofibers extracted from crab shells in water, then spraying the solution onto a reusable polymer substrate in alternating layers. - This is a good combination of negatively charged cellulose nanocrystals and positively charged chitin nanofibers.

Once dried and peeled from the substrate, the resulting transparent film has high flexibility, strength, and compostability. More importantly, it also outperforms traditional non-compostable cling film in keeping food from spoiling. "The main benchmark we compare this material to is PET, or polyethylene terephthalate, which is one of the most common petroleum-based materials you see in transparent packaging in things like vending machines," Meredith said. "Our material shows a 67% reduction in oxygen permeability compared to some forms of PET, meaning it could theoretically keep food fresh for longer."

The reduced permeability is due to the presence of nanocrystals. "Gas molecules have difficulty penetrating solid crystals because they have to disrupt the crystal structure," Meredith said. "On the other hand, something like PET contains a lot of amorphous or non-crystalline content, so there are more pathways for small gas molecules to find more easily."

Ultimately, the biopolymer-based film could not only replace currently discarded plastic films that do not biodegrade, but could also utilize wood waste produced in factories and crab shells discarded by the seafood industry. However, before that, the cost of industrial-scale production of this material must be reduced.

5、 Mango peels can be made into plastic substitutes that degrade in 6 months

According to the Mexico City Times, Mexico has recently successfully developed a plastic substitute using mango peels as raw material. The report states that Mexico is a "mango powerhouse," discarding hundreds of thousands of tons of mango peels every day, and processing these peels is time-consuming and laborious.

Scientists accidentally discovered that the toughness of mango peels has great development value, so they added starch and other chemical materials to the peels to develop a "mango peel composite" that can replace plastic.

This material has similar toughness and hardness to plastic. Most importantly, it is cheap to produce and recyclable, reducing environmental pollution while making use of waste.

6, Packaging made from animal skins, biodegradable plastic alternatives

To reduce waste from meat consumption, At10, a design studio in Reykjavik, Iceland, recently launched Bioplastic Skin, a bioplastic meat packaging made from animal skins. This biodegradable packaging is also an alternative to disposable plastic packaging.

Bioplastic Skin packaging is transparent and has a similar texture to plastic. It is made by boiling animal skins in water, a process that releases collagen and gelatin, which can form a gel-like substance that can be molded into any desired shape before hardening.

The Bioplastic Skin project aims to urge consumers to "reconsider" their relationship with meat: to incorporate the whole animal into the consumption process, not just the edible parts. From March 28 to 31, At10 will showcase the Bioplastic Skin project to the public at Design March in Reykjavik.

At10 studio said: "A large amount of plastic packaging is discarded every day, ending up in landfills or oceans, having a destructive impact on the environment. Bioplastic Skin is biodegradable packaging that can serve as an alternative to disposable plastic packaging."

In addition to providing an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic packaging, the design studio also hopes that its unconventional packaging will spark discussion among meat eaters. "Animal leather is often considered a byproduct of the meat industry. If we choose to eat meat, we have a responsibility to utilize the whole animal and minimize pollution to the earth as much as possible."

7, Cottonseed fluff to be made into plastic film, biodegradable, and lower cost!

Australia is currently conducting research that can transform cottonseed fluff, separated from cottonseeds, into biodegradable plastic. We all know that a large amount of cottonseed fluff is produced as waste when cotton fibers are separated using cotton gins. Currently, most cottonseed fluff is simply burned or put into landfills.

According to Dr. Maryam Naebe of Deakin University, approximately 32 million tons of cottonseed fluff are produced annually, with about one-third being discarded. Her team members hope to reduce waste, provide additional income for cotton farmers, and produce "a sustainable alternative to harmful synthetic plastics."

So they developed a system and used environmentally friendly chemicals to dissolve the cottonseed fluff fibers, then used the resulting organic polymers to make plastic films. Dr. Naebe said: "Compared to other similar petroleum-based products, the plastic film obtained using this method is cheaper."

This research is part of a project led by doctoral candidate Abu Naser Md Ahsanul Haque and associate researcher Dr. Rechana Remadevi. They are now exploring the application of the same technology to organic waste and plant materials such as lemongrass, almond shells, wheat straw, wood sawdust, and shavings.

8, A British company makes plastic bags from crayfish shells! Environmentally friendly and biodegradable!

Looking forward to it! Finally, the season for eating crayfish is coming! Whether it's spicy, garlic, or sauce-flavored, I'll take anything! But although crayfish is delicious, the waste shells are quite troublesome. However, what is garbage here is a "treasure" in someone else's hands.

Shellworks, a company based in London, UK, which evolved from a joint project team of the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London, is currently developing a biodegradable, environmentally friendly plastic bag, hoping to replace commonly used disposable plastic bags and reduce the environmental pressure from waste.

Studies have shown that almost all crustaceans contain a component called "chitosan".

This component is abundant in nature, with the most chitosan found in crayfish shells, accounting for 30% to 40%. Its main characteristics are non-toxic and easily degradable.

Given that chitosan is also the main component of crayfish shells, these British researchers believe that as long as it is extracted, it can be made into environmentally friendly plastic bags that are harmless to nature.

The researchers grind the collected crayfish shells into powder, then add acid-base solutions to separate the minerals and proteins inside, thereby obtaining chitosan nanofibers.

Then, add bio-vinegar and stir to obtain a bioplastic solution.

After they dry, they will become this film-like substance.

The whole process is very simple, so easily turning "waste into treasure"!

After pouring the solution into different custom molds, various finished products can be made, such as cups:

Such as plastic bags. Plastic bags made from it have high purity, low ash content, proper dryness, and low water content.

Most importantly, it is biodegradable and will not cause white pollution.

Currently, the company is conducting load-bearing tests on plastic bags made using this method to ensure that it can completely replace traditional disposable plastic bags.

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