By incorporating soy protein into the structure and coating it with an oil-resistant composite, the CUHK team successfully created an edible, transparent, and robust BC-based composite packaging. Credit: To Ngai
Plastic food packaging accounts for a significant proportion of plastic waste in landfills. In the face of escalating environmental concerns, researchers are looking to bio-derived alternatives.
Now, scientists at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) have developed an edible, transparent and biodegradable material with considerable potential for application in food packaging. Their work is published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.
Heavy reliance on petrochemicals and inherent non-biodegradability of plastic packaging mean