Advances in Eco-friendly Materials for Sustainable Packaging and Single-Use Utensils: A Decade of Innovation in Preparation, Characterization, and Applications

The demand for sustainable alternatives to synthetic
plastics increases,
driving research on developing eco-friendly packaging and single-use
utensils. Unlike previous reviews, this work provides a critical synthesis
of technological trends, identifying gaps that need to be filled and
highlighting innovations that are reshaping the field, considering
the scientific studies in the past decade. For this, we analyzed 5,744
articles published between 2013 and 2024, selected from 26,080 records
retrieved in the Scopus database, through a scoping review aligned
with the PRISMA-ScR checklist. Our findings reveal that research has
been largely concentrated on films (over 90%), underscoring the need
to develop other material types such as foams, cups, straws, and trays.
Starch, cellulose, and poly(lactic acid) were the main raw materials
with glycerol as the predominant plasticizer. Cross-linkers, fillers,
and nanomaterials were incorporated to enhance mechanical, barrier,
and functional propertieseven though some of them are not
biobased nor sustainable. Vegetable extracts and essential oils were
used to impart active properties. Evaluations of biodegradability
or disintegration, antimicrobial activity, and food preservation applications
increased significantly between 2019–2024 compared to 2013–2018,
demonstrating a shift toward multifunctional, application-oriented
solutions and a growing demand for bioactive packaging. Overall, this
review contributes by providing a comprehensive landscape of the field,
highlighting the transition toward multifunctional, biodegradable,
and innovative packages and utensils while emphasizing the challenges
that must be overcome for broader industrial application.