Use of waxes and rubbers to create SUPD-compliant coated packaging

The Single-Use Plastics Directive, or SUPD came into force on 3 July 2021 in the European Union in 2021. The main goal of the SUPD is to reduce the amount of plastic waste in the environment, especially the marine environment. SUPD restricts material choice in cotton bud sticks, cutlery, plates, straws, stirrers, sticks for balloons, cups, food and beverage containers. Synthetic polymers and oxo-degradable plastics are forbidden. This work was performed to create and assess SUPD-compliant natural options available to replace these plastics. Waxes and rubbers are some of the most common naturally available materials which impart water vapor and oxygen barrier properties. Different waxes - rice bran, carnauba, rapeseed, beeswax and rubbers - caoutchouc, guayule and chicle - and their combinations were tested in different ratios. They were coated on paperboard using different techniques like dispersion coating, hot melting coating in single and multilayer forms and their barrier properties were measured. The key target of this research was to identify the best options which can provide barrier properties, heat sealability and good printability. Out of the various options tested, rice bran wax provided a good moisture barrier whereas rubber helped in providing heat-sealability and a printable surface. A water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) in the range of 3-5 gm/m2/24 hr at 23 °C and 50% relative humidity was achieved with a multilayer product

Comparison of Organic Food Packaging in Denmark, Finland, Germany, Great Britain and Italy

The objective of this study was to provide a snapshot of organic food assortments in supermarkets in Denmark, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, and Italy, and compare the packages used for five organic food products (eggs, meat, fish, mushrooms, berries). In addition, a comparison was made between packaging for regular and organic whole eggs. The highest number of organic products was found in the Danish supermarket. The main difference between the countries was in the use of national organic logos. Of the different food products, egg cartons had the most variation in materials and visual design. In all countries the product name was generally very plain, such as “organic beef”. The most common packaging material was plastic followed by molded pulp and glass. Green coloration was used especially on organic egg and mushroom packaging, whereas berry jams and meats were packed in conventional transparent packages. Molded pulp cartons, green color, and illustrations rather than photos were used more often for organic eggs than regular eggs. For faster recognition of organic products on the supermarket shelf, a standard dark green color is recommended to be used consistently to signify organic

Suitability of Active and Intelligent Packaging for Local and Organic Food – A Case Study in Southern Finland

This study explores the suitability of innovative packaging for local and organic food. Attitudes and opinions in local and organic food chains in Southern Finland were collected via eighteen semi-structural interviews. The respondents were small-scale producers and processors of fish, meat, berries, and mushrooms, wholesalers, retailers, and institutional kitchens. The aim of this study was to understand factors promoting and preventing the penetration of innovative packaging solutions into the organic and local food market. A clear majority (89%) of respondents considered active and intelligent solutions to be equally suitable for local and organic food as for conventional food. However, less than half would actually use the technologies in their own products

Comparison of the Growth and Thermal Properties of Nonwoven Polymers after Atomic Layer Deposition and Vapor Phase Infiltration

The growth mechanism of Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) on polymeric surfaces differs from growth on inorganic solid substrates, such as silicon wafer or glass. In this paper, we report the growth experiments of Al2O3 and ZnO on nonwoven poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA), polyethersulphone (PES) and cellulose acetate (CA) fibres. Material growth in both ALD and infiltration mode was studied. The structures were examined with a scanning electron microscope (SEM), scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM), attenuated total reflectance-fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and 27Al nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Furthermore, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis were used to explore the effect of ALD deposition on the thermal properties of the CA polymer. According to the SEM, STEM and ATR-FTIR analysis, the growth of Al2O3 was more uniform than ZnO on each of the polymers studied. In addition, according to ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, the infiltration resulted in interactions between the polymers and the ALD precursors. Thermal analysis (TGA/DSC) revealed a slower depolymerization process and better thermal resistance upon heating both in ALD-coated and infiltrated fibres, more pronounced on the latter type of structures, as seen from smaller endothermic peaks on TA

Comparison of the Growth and Thermal Properties of Nonwoven Polymers after Atomic Layer Deposition and Vapor Phase Infiltration

The growth mechanism of Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) on polymeric surfaces differs from growth on inorganic solid substrates, such as silicon wafer or glass. In this paper, we report the growth experiments of Al2O3 and ZnO on nonwoven poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA), polyethersulphone (PES) and cellulose acetate (CA) fibres. Material growth in both ALD and infiltration mode was studied. The structures were examined with a scanning electron microscope (SEM), scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM), attenuated total reflectance-fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and 27Al nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Furthermore, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis were used to explore the effect of ALD deposition on the thermal properties of the CA polymer. According to the SEM, STEM and ATR-FTIR analysis, the growth of Al2O3 was more uniform than ZnO on each of the polymers studied. In addition, according to ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, the infiltration resulted in interactions between the polymers and the ALD precursors. Thermal analysis (TGA/DSC) revealed a slower depolymerization process and better thermal resistance upon heating both in ALD-coated and infiltrated fibres, more pronounced on the latter type of structures, as seen from smaller endothermic peaks on TA