Recent advances in agriculture waste derived 3D-printed food packaging

Abstract A recent advancement in the area of food packaging is the development of 3D-printed food packaging derived from agricultural waste. This provides a sustainable and environmentally friendly option for food packaging. This recycling of agricultural waste has been made possible due to advancements in 3D printing technology. Simple processes such as drying and grinding can easily convert agricultural waste such as cellulose and lignin into biopolymer inks required for 3D printing. However, agricultural waste needs to be mixed with a printable material to allow it to be extruded from 3D printers for fabrication of food packaging. Due to the weak mechanical strength of biopolymers, they need to be blended with some cross-linking material to impart strength and durability to the final printed product. Nonetheless, this approach holds tremendous potential in ameliorating the environmental impact of traditional petroleum-based plastic food packaging. Studies are still underway to develop better agricultural-waste-derived composite material with improved mechanical properties. 3D printing technology is developing into a quicker and more effective printing method that will eventually be used for a wide range of food packaging applications. The method allows for the customisation of functional food packaging designs while using a large amount of accessible agricultural by-product trash to provide more environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional packaging materials. In this study, we will discuss the different types of biopolymers and natural fillers utilised in the creation of 3D printing filaments from agro-industrial wastes for use in food packaging applications. We will also examine how processing techniques affect the physicochemical characteristics of 3D-printed composites used in food packaging.