Functional bioplastic films from cocoa shell cellulose and natural waxes: Toward sustainable active packaging
The development of sustainable packaging materials from agro-industrial by-products supports the transition to a circular bio-economy and offers a viable alternative to petroleum-based plastics. Cocoa shells (CS), a by-product from the chocolate industry, are an abundant source of cellulose with limited industrial use. In this study, cellulose was extracted from CS and chemically converted into carboxymethyl cellulose (CS-CMC), which was then used to formulate bioplastic films plasticized with glycerol or sorbitol.