Misleading identities: do perceptual attributes of materials drive the disposal of single-use packaging in the correct waste stream?

In recent years, bioplastics have been massively introduced in the food-packaging field. However, users erroneously dispose them, causing the contamination of recycling chains. From this, emerged the need for a user centred research investigating: the gestures and senses involved in packaging exploration before disposal, the perceptual attributes of different packaging materials, the possible correlation between such attributes and waste streams. This research aims at expanding current knowledge of compostable materials perceptual attributes and suggest design hints to encourage sustainable behaviour practices. The understandings led to a design that induces a sustainable allocation of waste of Single-Use Products (SUPs). Avoiding waste stream errors by recognisability of the packaging material and make the compostable packaging distinguishable for users through the perception of them can contribute to reduce the overall impact of single-use products

Enhancement of hydrophobicity of kraft pulp via a laccase-lauryl gallate treatment

To confer hydrophobic properties to Kraft pulp, an environmentally friendly process using laccase and lauryl gallate (LG) was developed. This treatment resulted in paper with very high water-barrier properties. The loss of hydrophobicity after acetone Soxhlet extraction highlighted the key role of adsorption phenomena on the introduction of pulp properties. GC-FID analysis of the extraction supernatants revealed large quantities of LG and dodecanol, and HPSEC-UV analysis revealed the presence of phenolic oligomers. Additional light microscopy examinations detected filamentous elements in the LG+Lac pulp corresponding to oligomers formed during the enzymatic reaction. Because this treatment is designed for packaging applications, pulp stratification enabled to obtain paper with acceptable mechanical properties. The influence of initial Kraft pulp quality (at different refining degrees and lignin contents) was also investigated

Use of mesoporous silica

The currently available technologies enable limitation of organic contaminants migration from paper-based packaging to foodstuff through application of plastic, aluminum or activated carbon layers on/inside paper/paperboard foils. In any case, these technologies require ad hoc paper production chains, whilist contaminants are not removed from packaging. The patented technology allows for adsorbing and removing toxic contaminants (MOSH) and potential carcinogenics (MOAH) from paper/paperboard without the need to modify production line and without altering the cellulose neutral color. The patent application claims the use of mesoporous silicas at high affinity for mineral oil. The silicas are thermally regenerable and reusable in numerous production cycle

Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Cellulose Nanofibres Production Routes from Virgin and Recycled Raw Materials

Nanocellulose-based materials are attracting an increasing interest for the positive role they could play in sustainable development; being originated from renewable resources. Moreover, cellulose has a high potential of recycling from both post-consumer waste and industrial waste. Both factors, i.e., recyclability and renewable resources; results are also extremely favourable in the perspective of circular economy. Despite all these positive aspects, an industrial production has yet to start. At the lab scale, many preparation methods of cellulose nanofibres (CNF) are available; here, the three most common are analysed: (1) enzymatic pre-treatment followed by homogenisation (ENZHO), (2) oxidative pre-treatment combined with homogenisation (TOHO) or (3) oxidative pre-treatment followed by sonication (TOSO). All three processes have been experimentally carried out starting from both virgin and recycled cellulose from industrial waste sludge. The environmental sustainability of these three routes is estimated by the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) using experimental lab scale data. In this scenario, the comparative LCA has pointed out a superior performance of the ENZHO process, followed by TOHO and, lastly, by TOSO. The influence of energy consumption on the final results has been further investigated by a sensitivity analysis, showing that the TOHO and TOSO routes could reach similar performances by scaling-up the process from the laboratory. The different typology of CNF obtained by conducting the ENZHO process with respect to the TEMPO-mediated oxidation approach is also outlined as an additional element to be considered for the final selection of a suitable process

USO DI SILICE MESOPOROSA

La tecnologia applicata alla produzione di carta/cartone ad uso alimentare, attraverso il trattamento con silici modificate, rimuove gli oli minerali (la cui frazione aromatica è un potenziale cancerogeno) senza alterare il colore della carta

Stabilization of\ua0mineral oil hydrocarbons in\ua0recycled paper pulp by\ua0organo-functionalized mesoporous silicas and\ua0evaluation of\ua0migration to\ua0food

The occurrence of mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOH) in cellulose-based packaging is mainly due to the offset printing process where MOH are used as a ink pigments' solvent. The MOH migration from paper/paperboard to food is matter of concern for EFSA, members state authorities, consumers, and food industry. In this study, the feasibility to stabilize MOH by adding a sorbent into recycled paper obtained through a common washing process was investigated and the migration to wheat flour/Tenax\uc2\uae assessed. Among several white/pale yellow porous materials, organo-modified powder silica MCM-41-Si(CH3)3 showed the best combination between affinity for MOH (184% dw) and stability to thermal regeneration. A freshly issued newspaper with >3000\ua0mg\ua0MOH\ua0kg-1 was used to produce recycled paper at a laboratory-scale plant. MCM-41-Si(CH3)3 was added at the pulping step (1% dw) and the sorbent-enriched pulp handled according to a washing paper production process with no effect on the paper optical brightness. The MOH content of the wheat flour in contact with the sorbent-enriched paper under accelerated migration conditions (15\uc2\ua0days at 40 \uc2\ub0C) resulted 20% of that contacted with control paper (4.3 \ub1 1.1 and 20.4 \ub1 5.5\ua0mg\ua0kg-1, respectively), despite its contamination was 24% higher than the control. On the contrary, Tenax\uae contamination resulted 56.0 \ub1 10.0 and 47 \ub1 14.0\ua0mg\ua0kg-1 when exposed to sorbent-enriched and control paper, respectively