Title:	UV-Blocking Active Bioplastics from Coffee Parchment and Pectin.
Authors:	SANTOS, L. B. NARDI, M. SIMONUTTI, R. OTONI, C. G. PEROTTO, G. ATHANASSIOU, A. AZEREDO, H. M. C. de
Affiliation:	SMART MATERIALS, ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI TECNOLOGIA (IIT), VIA MOREGO 30, 16163 GENOA, ITALY; SMART MATERIALS, ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI TECNOLOGIA (IIT), VIA MOREGO 30, 16163 GENOA, ITALY; DIPARTIMENTO DI SCIENZA DEI MATERIALI, UNIVERSITÀ DI MILANO-BICOCCA, VIA ROBERTO COZZI 55, 20125 MILANO, ITALY; UNIVERSITY OF CAMPINAS (UNICAMP); SMART MATERIALS, ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI TECNOLOGIA (IIT), VIA MOREGO 30, 16163 GENOA, ITALY; SMART MATERIALS, ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI TECNOLOGIA (IIT), VIA MOREGO 30, 16163 GENOA, ITALY; HENRIETTE MONTEIRO CORDEIRO DE AZEREDO, CNPDIA.
Date Issued:	2026
Citation:	Journal of Polymers and the Environment, v. 34, 182, 2026.
Pages:	18 p.
Description:	The coffee industry generates large amounts of by-products whose improper disposal may create environmental burdens, while their lignocellulosic matrix and bioactive compounds make them attractive feedstocks for sustainable materials. In this study, coffee husk, parchment, and silverskin were comparatively characterized to identify the most promising fraction for direct conversion into active bioplastics. Based on its composition and film-forming potential, coffee parchment was selected and combined with high-methoxyl pectin to produce films using the biomass in its whole form after mild citric acid pretreatment. The resulting materials were evaluated for mechanical, optical, and functional properties, as well as thermoformability and performance in walnut protection against photooxidative degradation. Depending on formulation, the films showed tensile strength of 3.2–11 MPa, and elongation at break of 30–43%, while all formulations exhibited complete UV-blocking capacity and DPPH radical inhibition of 20–35%. The films could also be thermoformed into three-dimensional structures. In a proof-of-concept application, walnuts packed in the developed films showed markedly lower losses of unsaturated proton signals after UV exposure than walnuts packed in LDPE. These results demonstrate that coffee parchment can act as a main structural component in active bioplastics, supporting whole-biomass valorization for protective packaging applications.
Keywords:	Upcycling Biorefinery Coffee processing by-products Active packaging Coffee parchment
DOI:	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-026-03901-8
Type of Material:	Artigo de periódico
Access:	openAccess
Appears in Collections:	Artigo em periódico indexado (CNPDIA)