Seed coatings as inspiration for sustainable packaging

  • Eder, Michaela (Co-Investigator)
  • Dunlop, John (Principal Investigator)

Project Details

Description

Recycling of current packaging solutions and materials is often
impeded by difficult or even impossible separation into their original
components. In nature, however, solutions for efficient and
sustainable coatings and packaging are omnipresent: Plant seed coats
(testa or fruit walls) are biodegradable, pack and protect embryos -
even under extreme conditions such as heat, frost, radiation, chemical
and microbial attack and for short as well as long time periods (up to
hundreds of years). However, surprisingly little is known about these
natural packaging and protection solutions. The team will monitor
environmental conditions of plants with seeds with thin testa growing
under extreme alpine conditions as well as those of their close
relatives in low-land regions to assess environmental effects on seed
coat properties and functionalities. To expand the properties range,
seeds of fire-prone regions and the Arctic and Antarctic will be
included. Finally, the team will transfer the knowledge into
sustainable, plant- based packaging and coating prototypes.
Short titleSeed coatings
AcronymSeed coatings
StatusActive
Effective start/end date1/01/24 → 31/12/28

UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This project contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
  • SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production