The Food–Materials Nexus: Next Generation Bioplastics and Advanced Materials from Agri‐Food Residues

Abstract

The most recent strategies available for upcycling agri‐food losses and waste (FLW) into functional bioplastics and advanced materials are reviewed and the valorization of food residuals are put in perspective, adding to the water–food–energy nexus. Low value or underutilized biomass, biocolloids, water‐soluble biopolymers, polymerizable monomers, and nutrients are introduced as feasible building blocks for biotechnological conversion into bioplastics. The latter are demonstrated for their incorporation in multifunctional packaging, biomedical devices, sensors, actuators, and energy conversion and storage devices, contributing to the valorization efforts within the future circular bioeconomy. Strategies are introduced to effectively synthesize, deconstruct and reassemble or engineer FLW‐derived monomeric, polymeric, and colloidal building blocks. Multifunctional bioplastics are introduced considering the structural, chemical, physical as well as the accessibility of FLW precursors. Processing techniques are analyzed within the fields of polymer chemistry and physics. The prospects of FLW streams and biomass surplus, considering their availability, interactions with water and thermal stability, are critically discussed in a near‐future scenario that is expected to lead to next‐generation bioplastics and advanced materials.

Upcycling Byproducts from Insect (Fly Larvae and Mealworm) Farming into Chitin Nanofibers and Films

“…illucens outstands owing to the ability of its larvae to digest organic matter. The biodigesting approach further fits the insect biorefinery into the circular bioeconomy by opening up the possibility of feeding larvae with nutritious agri-food side streams (e.g., brewery spent grains and okara), which may denote not only a major environmental issue but also an opportunity to upcycle food waste into economically valuable biomass, including nanochitin. This also applies to municipal waste that, when decomposed by H.…”

Approaching a Zero-Waste Strategy in Rapeseed (Brassica napus) Exploitation: Sustainably Approaching Bio-Based Polyethylene Composites

“…Bio-polyethylene (BioPE) from sugarcane was purchased from Braskem (Sao Paulo, Brazil). The grade of BioPE used was an injection molding grade SHA7260 with a density of 0.955 g/cm 3 and a melt flow rate of 20 g/10 min. Anhydride maleic grafted polypropylene (MAPE) was used as a coupling agent in a moderate amount.…”

“…The great properties offered by plastics in their use in semi-structural applications are difficult to achieve with other materials, which is why new alternatives must be developed. It seems clear that the plastics of the future must be renewable in origin and, if possible, biodegradable [3,4]. However, several limitations must be considered.…”

Towards a Circular Economy of Plastics: An Evaluation of the Systematic Transition to a New Generation of Bioplastics

“…Additionally, the microbial fermentation of lactic acid is associated with high costs derived from the pretreatment of the agroindustrial wastes and their conversion into fermentable sugars for the downstream biotechnological process. The optimization of cost–performance sustainability for bioplastics produced from organic wastes is needed before there can feasibly be a switch from fossil-based plastics to bioplastics [ 201 ].…”