Abstract
The extensive production and use of fossil-based plastics have led to their ubiquity worldwide, causing growing concern and environmental problems. Consequently, developing biobased polymers and biobased composite materials, aligned with circular economy principles, is now the focus as a sustainable alternative to fossil-based plastics. This work aimed to develop and characterise a new, fully biobased, and biodegradable material composite with properties similar to traditional fossil-based plastics, allowing its use in cosmetic product applications as an alternative to commonly used fossil-based plastics. A novel biobased composite comprising poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate (PHBV), polylactic acid (PLA) chitosan (CS), acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC) plant essential oils, and phycocyanin was successfully developed and processed using various techniques confirming its processability and versatility. Characterisation of the developed composites showed a reduction in mechanical properties with the addition of ATBC, essential oil and phycocyanin, with tensile results within the typical behaviour for PP (polypropylene) and PE (polyethylene). The thermal properties of the developed composites showed working temperatures in the same range as PP and PE. The results obtained are promising and, to the best of our knowledge, this work presents the first green material composite comprising PHBV, PLA, CS, essential oil, ATBC, and phycocyanin specifically designed for cosmetic packaging as a sustainable alternative to fossil-based plastics.