Food packaging

The majority of plastic packaging is single-use, is therefore thrown away and not recycled. This is a real shame. In the Circular Chemistry course, third-year chemistry students will work on a project to develop degradable materials that can be used as packaging materials.

During the project, you will work individually as well as in groups. You act on the demand coming from professional field. This project focuses on the plastic soup as well as on food waste and we combine these two. In this, you do not lose sight of whether there is a market for alternative packaging materials and customer perception.

A solution
Seaweed seems to be a solution! It is degradable and edible. We make an invisible layer from this, and us it as a coating around fruit, for example. This keeps fruit fresh for a longer time.

Research
Next, you will extensively test this agent on a product, e.g. an apple. How do we apply this coating? We will map how much longer the coated apple stays fresh when compared to an uncoated apple. Are there any undesirable effects after applying the coating (odours)?

You will also list the technical and financial feasibility. Moreover, you will look at which companies could and would like to use this technique.

Programme
Would you like more information about this project or the Chemistry programme? View our study choice activities at hz.nl/events and register for one of the activities.