Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging from Plants (S2UPPlant)

植物智能可持续塑料包装 (S2UPPlant)

• 批准号: NE/V010565/1
• 负责人: James Elliott
• 金额: $ 107.65万
• 依托单位: University of Cambridge
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2020 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=NE%2FV010565%2F1
• 关键词: Smart; Sustainable; Plastic; Packaging; Plants

In recent times, our enthusiasm for "disposable" plastics culture has been replaced by a more environmentally and carbon-conscious ethos that has created a strong desire amongst consumers and producers for greater use of recyclable or biodegradable materials. Whilst there are already some examples of such plastics in use (e.g. shrink wrapping for magazines or BioWare plates and cutlery) their relatively low volumes of usage, slow breakdown rates in the natural environment and widespread confusion with conventional plastics mean that this little more than a token effort at present. Similarly, while reducing single-use or unnecessary plastic packaging is very important, some packaging is still required to maintain food quality, shelf-life and international distribution networks. With this project, we plan to supplant the widespread use of fossil-derived plastics with materials made from naturally derived sources, such as wood (cellulose) and plants (sugars). These materials will degrade more easily in the natural environment, and result in no additional carbon being returned to the biosphere. By changing the genetic code of the plants, or blending with other additives from food or agricultural waste, we can engineer materials with new functional properties, such as improved strength or better protection, resulting in a reduction in overall volume of plastic packing used to keep food fresh. We will also ensure that these new plastics are compatible with existing recycling infrastructure to enable maximum reuse before degradation.Of course, changing wholesale from fossil-derived to plant-derived feedstocks will entail major changes to our economic and environmental processes. At present, many sources of natural feedstocks are in direct competition with food resources and are unprofitable to produce at large scales compared with feedstocks for conventional plastics. By assessing the impact of switching to plant-derived sugars and making better use of waste products from food and forestry industries, we will explore the trade-offs between the benefits of plastic packaging and the impacts of its production and disposal, both for existing plastics and new natural feedstock alternatives. Success of the project will result in fulfilment of many of the UK Plastic Pact 2025 challenges and help to achieve the objective of establishing the UK as a leading innovator in smart and sustainable plastic packaging.

最近，我们对一次性塑料文化的热情已经被更环保和更具碳意识的精神所取代，这在消费者和生产商中产生了更多使用可回收或可生物降解材料的强烈愿望。虽然已经有一些此类塑料在使用中的例子(例如，杂志或生物陶瓷板和餐具的收缩包装)，但它们的使用量相对较低，自然环境中的低分解率以及与传统塑料的广泛混淆意味着，目前这只是象征性的努力。同样，尽管减少一次性或不必要的塑料包装非常重要，但仍需要一些包装来维持食品质量、保质期和国际分销网络。通过这个项目，我们计划用天然来源的材料取代广泛使用的化石衍生塑料，如木材(纤维素)和植物(糖)。这些材料在自然环境中更容易降解，不会导致额外的碳返回生物圈。通过改变植物的遗传密码，或者与来自食物或农业废弃物的其他添加剂混合，我们可以设计出具有新功能特性的材料，如提高强度或更好的保护，从而减少用于保持食品新鲜的塑料包装的总体积。我们亦会确保这些新塑胶与现有的循环再造基础设施互相配合，以便在降解前能最大限度地重复使用这些塑胶。当然，把以化石为原料的原料大规模转变为以植物为原料的原料，将会对我们的经济和环境程序带来重大改变。目前，许多天然原料来源与粮食资源直接竞争，与传统塑料原料相比，大规模生产无利可图。通过评估改用植物糖和更好地利用食品和林业行业的废物产品的影响，我们将探索塑料包装的好处与其生产和处置的影响之间的权衡，包括现有塑料和新的天然原料替代品。该项目的成功将导致实现英国塑料公约2025的许多挑战，并有助于实现将英国确立为智能和可持续塑料包装领域领先创新者的目标。

项目成果

Criteria for Assessing Sustainability of Lignocellulosic Wastes: Applied to the Cellulose Nanofibril Packaging Production in the UK.

评估木质纤维素废物可持续性的标准：应用于英国的纤维素纳米纤维包装生产。

• DOI: 10.17863/cam.96221
• 发表时间: 2023
• 作者: Islam S