ABSTRACT
Abstract: To date, packaging materials, including medical and food packaging, have been mostly based on non-renewable materials. Bio-based polymers are promising alternative to petroleum-based polymers because these materials provide unique properties to the nal packaging products. Academia and industry have done considerable efforts to identify new biopolymers from sustainable alternatives such as lignocellulosic and oceanic biomass, with the aim of developing new biobased packaging. Polysaccharide constitutes one of the most abundant and diversied groups of biopolymers. Among these, cellulose, poly(lactic acid), starch, hemicellulose, chitin and chitosan are interesting because of their unique physicochemical, mechanical and biological properties. These biopolymers can be exploited as functional and/or structural materials for packaging. As bio-based matrices, the functional properties of these biopolymers can be improved when combined with other lm-forming materials or bio-based nanollers. This chapter covers recent developments and key challenges in the use of these biopolymers as a matrix, reinforcing agents or bioactive nanollers in the packaging sector.
