Project Title

Design and Engineering of the Next Generation of Sustainable Multilayer Packaging from Wood: An Integrated Experimental-Computational Research Project

Project Description

There is an urgent need to move away from the conventional consumption model of “take-make-dispose” and to adopt a more sustainable and circular bioeconomy with the adaptation of renewable feedstocks and with more prevention, reuse and recycling of plastics. Wood and agricultural crop residues have the potential to become the basis of renewable and sustainable materials, such as the next generation of fully biodegradable and/or recyclable packaging. This project will advance the commercialization of forest and agricultural resources as raw materials for the development of high-value-added food packaging with improved properties and new functionalities to replace single-use plastics.

Principal Investigators

• Nathalie Lavoine
• Melissa Pasquinelli

Expected Outcomes

• Positions North Carolina as a leader in sustainable bio-based products, leveraging its forests and agricultural resources
• Supports rural economies by advancing forest- and agriculture-based innovations
• Develops a machine learning platform to accelerate the design and manufacturing of sustainable packaging from concept to market-ready products
• Expands scientific understanding of renewable resources for bio-based product engineering
• Engineers the first packaging prototype made entirely from renewable resources

Research Methods

To meet the project goals, the principal investigators will utilize the following research methods:

• Create a database of structures and properties of renewable resources from published literature
• Develop a nanoscale modeling framework to predict renewable resource performance for sustainable packaging
• Test and validate prediction models through experimental studies
• Refine models iteratively to adapt them for different packaging systems

About McIntire-Stennis

The McIntire-Stennis program, a unique federal-state partnership, cultivates and delivers forestry and natural resource innovations for a better future. By advancing research and education that increases the understanding of emerging challenges and fosters the development of relevant solutions, the program has ensured healthy, resilient forests and communities and an exceptional natural resources workforce since 1962.