Researchers develop revolutionary replacement for ubiquitous product packaging: 'This is just the beginning'
Researchers from Virginia Tech might have just revolutionized food packaging.
The research team, from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Natural Resources and Environment, found a way to strengthen otherwise flimsy biodegradable packaging.
This news couldn't come sooner. Plastic packaging (along with most plastic products) can spell bad news for your health. Though the long-term effects haven't yet been studied, the American Lung Association reports a correlation between microplastics and chronic lung disease. These tiny plastic particles come from anything made from the substance, from single-use water bottles to — you guessed it — plastic packaging.
If plastic packaging is so bad for your health, then why is it so widespread? Haibo Huang, an associate professor at the university, told Virginia Tech News, "Biodegradable packaging materials are gaining interest as alternatives, but they often struggle to match the performance properties of petroleum-based plastic."
The only leg up biodegradable packaging has historically had on its plastic counterpart is its environmental benefits. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, plastic waste can take up to 1,000 years to decompose. During that window of time, it sheds microplastics, which hurt animals' health, too.
Now, though, biodegradable packaging might just become the new norm. Researchers used low-pressure cycles on cellulose, with resounding success. The packaging's transparency, durability, and gas barriers (which prevent oxygen from spoiling food) were all improved.
The researchers are already looking to scale the project. And they're not the only ones interested in more eco-friendly packaging. U.K.-based Notpla is pushing seaweed-based edible packaging as the next big thing. And an Australian company, The Packaging People, sells sustainable packaging solutions to e-commerce businesses.
Young Kim, Virginia Tech professor and project investigator, put it best. As he told Virginia Tech News, "This is just the beginning."
When you think about a product's packaging, which of these factors is more important to you?
The way it looks
The information it provides
The waste it produces
I don't think about packaging at all
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.
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