Plastics in Food Packaging: Trends, Innovations and Environmental Impact

Plastics dominate the global food-packaging market because they are light, cheap, and easily tailored to protect a vast array of products. Yet escalating concern over plastic waste, chemical migration, and microplastic pollution has triggered rapid innovation—and equally rapid debate—around alternative materials, advanced recycling, and stricter regulation. This review explores the types of packaging materials, with a focus on flexible and rigid plastics, and their application in food packaging. It examines the role of plastics, including polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), in protecting food and enhancing its shelf life. This review also surveys developments in conventional and emerging polymers, cutting-edge barrier and active-packaging technologies, and the life-cycle impacts that shape today’s research and policy agenda. Additionally, the review discusses the latest innovations in food packaging, such as nanomaterial-based packaging, active and intelligent packaging systems, and the integration of smart technologies like IoT and QR codes. With growing environmental concerns, there is a shift toward sustainable alternatives, including biodegradable and bio-based plastics. The study emphasizes the need to balance food safety, convenience, and sustainability in food packaging.