Pilot-scale production of fiber-based trays from horticultural residues as sustainable packaging for ready-to-eat foods

The use of horticultural residues (HR) to produce sustainable and environmentally friendly food packaging through implementable processes for medium-sized enterprises is reported in this work. HR-cellulose fibers were produced by means of two different pulping processes: mechanical (M-HR) and semi-chemical (SC-HR). The characteristics of the fibers were found to be dependent on the obtention process, achieving short-high refining degree fibers (65 °Schopper-Riegler) with mechanical pulping and long-low refining degree fibers (13 °Schopper-Riegler) with a semi-chemical pulping. Fiber-based trays were produced in pilot scale following a thermoforming and laminating process. Trays with 20% M-HR and 40% SC-HR were adequate in weight and free of defects, showing analogous mechanical properties to commercial trays and, in either case, the pesticides detected in the materials complied with the regulations. Trays were subjected to the lamination and cooking tests usually performed on commercial trays, successfully overcoming the use that customers would give to these trays.