Strategies for reusing and recycling materials are important, but equally important are the biodegradability and compostability
of food packaging materials and these characteristics are increasingly becoming essential traits. Biodegradable are materials that can
be degraded by the enzymatic action of bacteria, yeast, and/or fungi; and they are also compostable when they act as fertilizers and
soil conditioners. Several commercially available synthetic polymers are biodegradable and compostable, including starch, cellu-lose, and lignin. Moreover, many bioplastics are a mix of synthetic components and are currently used in some packaging applica-tions such as trash bags, loose-fill packing foam, wrappings, and laminated papers, but also diaper back sheets, cotton swabs, toys,
and fast-food tableware (Malathy et al., 2014)