Review about use of agricultural waste to obtain food packaging

Plastic packaging accounted for roughly 46% of the 460 trillion metric tons of plastic produced in 2019 (UNEP, 2022). Since only 9% of this waste is currently recycled (Thompson, 2022), a significant amount of it (up to 14.5 million tons) ends up in the world?s oceans (Lau et al., 2020, Wayman and Niemann, 2021). This poor waste management of plastic packaging negatively impacts the environment and contaminates food (Almenar et al., 2023). The growing concern around the impact of plastic packaging on the environment has led to exploration of eco-friendly packaging alternatives to current plastic packaging (Ahmadzadeh and Khaneghah, 2020, Bridson et al., 2021). Agricultural Waste (AW) Food production and processing generate high levels of agricultural waste (AW) that also cause a negative environmental impact (Torres-Le?n et al., 2018). These AWs are often sources of valuable compounds such as proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids (Liu et al., 2023). However, they are often used as animal feed or fertilizer, providing only minimal economic value. (Riven et al., 2014). The valorization of these wastes into materials such as monomers and additives for production of biopolymers and biocomposites can contribute to developing more sustainable packaging while discovering ways to recycle these byproducts. This potential use creates an opportunity to reduce plastic and AW, providing eco-friendly alternatives to current plastic packaging and an abundant and low-cost raw material. Further, it would reduce waste disposal, lower environmental pollution, and eventually produce biodegradable plastics at a lower cost (Wojnowska-Bary?a et al., 2020). The above makes AWs appealing candidates for biopolymer and biocomposite production in food packaging. An official definition of ?AW? is not available in the literature (Law Insider, 2023). AW can be defined as the residues left from the production and processing of fruits, vegetables, grains (cereals and legumes), meats (poultry, pork, beef), fish and sea food. Goal, to discuss the potential through all aspectsDuring the past five years, several literature reviews focused on the use of AW for food packaging development have been published (Bayram et al., 2021, Deshwal et al., 2021, Dilucia et al., 2020, Gupta et al., 2022, Ortega et al., 2022, Santhosh et al., 2021, Zhang and Sablani, 2021). However, these literature reviews contain limited information due to their focus on specific topics (e.g., strictly one food group, the use of waste as a filler or monomeric unit, specific applications). To the best of the authors? knowledge, there is no literature review that discusses AW as a packaging material for food based on the package life cycle in the food supply chain. The goal of this literature review is to discuss the potential for AW as packaging material for food through all aspects, including origin (raw materials), treatments and processing (conversion), characterization (validation), applications in food packaging (retail), regulations, consumer behavior, and end-of-life (Fig. 1). This discussion is based on the literature published in the past 5 years. AbstractThe upcycling of agricultural waste (AW) into monomers and additives for biopolymers/biocomposites production can contribute to developing sustainable and/or functional packaging for food. This literature review aims to discuss AW's potential as a material for food packages, considering its life cycle from raw material to end-of-life, using the latest published literature. Materials made of AW (proteins, carbohydrates, lipids) or containing AW as functional compound (antimicrobials, antioxidants, sensors/indicators) are mostly produced using solvent casting while those with AW as a plastic filler use a variety of common plastic processing technologies, blown film extrusion and thermoforming being the most recent ones. AW-based biopolymers and biocomposites generally present weaker barrier, mechanical, and thermal properties than traditional packaging materials, however, some possess unique properties to extend food shelf life. Physical, chemical, and other treatments can improve these properties and further enhance performance. Although consumers have a positive attitude toward AW-incorporated packaging, further validation with food is required. Biodegradation under aerobic conditions is a possible end-of-life scenario for these materials to get back to the soil. If AW-based biopolymers/biocomposites are to be utilized for food packaging, advancements in conversion and performance, and studies on consumer behavior, migration, and biodegradation are all necessary. Figure is the graphical abstract SourceTurning agricultural waste into packages for food: A literature review from origin to end-of-lifeHaile Tesfaye Duguma, Purva Khule, Aidan McArdle, Korey Fennell & Eva Almenar?Food Packaging and Shelf Life?Volume 40, December 2023, 101166https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2214289423001436?dgcid=coauthorhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.fpsl.2023.101166