Bio-based fiber packaging could pose an unexpected threat to the natural environment, suggests a new study conducted at the UK’s Bangor University and University of Plymouth. The research team calls for novel bio-based plastic alternatives to be studied more extensively, with the new findings indicating threats to animal and soil health. “This study aimed to compare the effect of viscose and lyocell, two bio-based fibers, and the conventional fiber polyester on earthworms,” Dr. Winnie Courtene-Jones, lead author of the new study and a lecturer in marine pollution at Bangor University, tells Packaging Insights.
