Packaging and Polymer-Based Materials
A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymeric Materials".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2026 | Viewed by 1317
Special Issue Editors
Interests: polymer engineering; polymers and plastics; macromolecular chemistry; polymer composites; polyblends and polymer alloys; interphases; environmental polymer science and technology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: polymer engineering; polymers and plastics; macromolecular chemistry; polymer composites; polyblends and polymer alloys; interphases; environmental polymer science and technology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Packaging based on plastic materials, i.e., organic polymers treated adequately with additives to achieve desired performance, constitutes the largest source of waste, followed by construction and textile sectors. This is explained by the need to preserve the properties and characteristics of packaged items from their production plants to reach the end consumer, which is known as primary packaging. This process encompasses each step, including transportation and storage, throughout the entire distribution chain, as well as secondary and tertiary packaging. Films, blisters and bottles or small containers are the main components of the former. In contrast, medium and large sizes of the secondary and tertiary ones are mainly composed of the strongest films, sheets, large containers and large boxes.
Sustainability’s challenge to achieve the most efficient utilization of available resources, giving rise to the best comfort for humankind without compromising the survival of future generations, becomes especially relevant to the plastics packaging sector, which, in 2020, reached 50 million tons because of its growing competitiveness, not only by well-preserving product properties—i.e., food, drugs, chemicals, fuels or any others—but also by aiming for the minimum weight and volume requirements to achieve it and minimum energy transportation costs, with the best user-friendly operation and easy handling.
From such a perspective, the challenge remains in not only achieving new macromolecular structures, with special attention to those coming from renewable sources, but also in processing improvements; eco-friendly additive development, including labeling; new designs focused on rational recyclability, beyond fluctuant economic interests; polymer grade number reduction and "ad hoc" standards of development with the primary target of avoiding unnecessary incompatibility and /or immiscibility troubles in the management of mixed plastic wastes.
Work in any of the areas mentioned above are not just welcome but crucial to this Special Issue. We also invite submissions related to the innovation and new performances of organic plastics in the vast packaging world. Your contributions are integral to the research community and will help us address challenges and innovations in sustainable plastic packaging.
Dr. Jesús-María García-Martínez
Dr. Emilia P. Collar
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- packaging
- polymers
- recyclability
- additives
- labeling
- novel designs
- end-use
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