Effect of Paper vs. Bioplastic Bags on Food Waste Collection and Processing

Purpose The most abundant among the separately collected waste materials in Italy is food waste. This research aims to evaluate the influence of the type of collection bag on the food waste management chain. In Italy, the food waste collection is mainly based on bioplastic bags. As an alternative, a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Waste and biomass valorization 2021-11, Vol.12 (11), p.6293-6307
Main Authors: Dolci, Giovanni, Catenacci, Arianna, Malpei, Francesca, Grosso, Mario
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anaerobic conditions
Anaerobic digestion
Anaerobic treatment
Best management practices
Biogas
Bioplastics
Engineering
Environment
Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology
Evaluation
Food
Food chains
Food processing
Food waste
Garbage collection
Industrial Pollution Prevention
Inoculum
Methane
Original Paper
Recycled materials
Renewable and Green Energy
Waste management
Waste Management/Waste Technology
Waste materials
Weight loss
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Summary:Purpose The most abundant among the separately collected waste materials in Italy is food waste. This research aims to evaluate the influence of the type of collection bag on the food waste management chain. In Italy, the food waste collection is mainly based on bioplastic bags. As an alternative, a new type of recycled paper bag shows potential advantages. Methods The two types of collection bag were compared evaluating the weight loss of food waste during the household storage, by means of an experimental assessment simulating the domestic dynamic bag filling. Moreover, the biomethane production of bags under anaerobic conditions was measured at the lab-scale level with Biochemical Methane Potential (BMP) tests. Results During the household storage, the breathable fabric of the paper allows for higher weight losses, ranging on average between + 29 and + 44% compared to bioplastic. BMP tests, carried out under different conditions (temperature, inoculum), showed a 2–14 times higher generation of methane by paper bags compared to bioplastic bags, when referred to 1 kg of inserted food waste. Conclusions Collecting the food waste inside paper bags shows advantages compared to the use of bioplastic bags. First, the waste collection is benefitted thanks to the lower weight of material to be transported to treatment plants, leading also to the possibility of decreasing the collection frequency. Moreover, paper resulted more compatible than bioplastic with the anaerobic digestion treatment, which is currently rapidly increasing as a food waste management option. Graphic Abstract
ISSN:1877-2641
1877-265X
DOI:10.1007/s12649-021-01448-4