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This study aims to examine the young Malaysian consumers’ switching intention from synthetic to biodegradable plastics. This research shows the factors affecting young Malaysian consumers’ switching intention towards biodegradable plastic rather than traditional plastic (synthetic plastics). In this study, there are three factors to be considered whether they influence the young consumers in Malaysia to change their intention towards biodegradable plastic. The three factors are environmental concern, knowledge and the perceived value of biodegradable plastic. However, biodegradable plastic’s switching intention is also affected by biodegradable plastic’s attitude, where the three factors influence this attitude. Thus, all variables are considered in this research to investigate the reasons for switching intention from synthetic to biodegradable plastics among young Malaysian consumers.

In line with the recent economic growth, especially in developing countries, human concern for the environment has increased over time. This paradigm shift has influenced Malaysians to pay more attention to the issues related to synthetic plastics, especially in Malaysia itself. To reduce the use of synthetic plastic in Malaysia, this research is conducted to identify the young consumer’s behaviour in Malaysia towards the use of biodegradable plastics. In this study, the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) is broadened into three additional factors that potentially enhance the young consumer’s attitude and increase switching intention towards biodegradable plastics: environmental concern, knowledge and perceived value. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire via an online survey method. The structural equation modelling with SmartPLS 3 was used to analyse the data from a total of 162 respondents. The study’s key findings confirmed that switching intention towards biodegradable plastics is significantly influenced by environmental concern, perceived value, and attitude. This study also provided empirical evidence that the attitude acts as a mediator for the relationship between environmental concern and perceived value towards the switching intention. These results could help the government establish a new policy to encourage citizens to use biodegradable plastics while reducing environmental pollution.

The study’s key findings confirmed that switching intention towards biodegradable plastics is significantly influenced by environmental concern, perceived value and attitude. Furthermore, this study extends the TPB to include the intention to switch from synthetic to biodegradable plastics, where attitudes towards the environment, environmental concern and perceived value all have an impact on the intention to switch from synthetic to biodegradable plastics in the first place. As an additional contribution to the existing body of knowledge, this study provides empirical data about the variables influencing decision-makers’ intentions towards the transition from synthetic to biodegradable plastics. The findings of this study may also be useful for future research by academic institutions, the Department of Research and Development and the government. As a result, this research is important for future academics who want to better understand the intentions of young Malaysian consumers when it comes to biodegradable plastics.

This research might provide direction to a firm considering implementing a new business strategy to develop creative and sustainable products that will contribute to the protection of the environment. More importantly, this research contributes to improving government policy and regulation in environmental preservation by integrating environmental knowledge and attitude into Malaysian cultural practices. Also possible are even greater levels of environmental awareness and environmentally friendly activities on the part of the government and the commercial sector, such as various initiatives and events to encourage green and environmentally friendly purchasing habits. As a result, given that sustainability has emerged as one of the most pressing issues facing society today, this research is important in that it provides insights for stakeholders (policymakers, marketers and others) to strategise the government’s plan to reduce the use of synthetic plastics and promote the use of biodegradable plastics. As the analysis of consumer behaviour is one of the most important aspects of improving the profitability of businesses, the collaboration between marketing and the research and development department to examine consumer behaviour is extremely important to meet the needs of consumers. This research could serve as a reference for them during the decision-making process, particularly in the plastics industry, which is highly recommended. Aside from that, the findings of the study may be used as a guide for the government in developing new policies to attain the objective of sustainable development in the future. As a result, it can aid in introducing environmentally friendly products and raising public knowledge about them.

Approaches based on social marketing have led to the proposal of systemic interventions to achieve individual behaviour that takes into account the benefits for society as a whole. The use of plastics is having significant negative effects on the environment and so numerous policies such as the use of biodegradable packaging, have been implemented to ensure sustainable production and consumption patterns (Sustainable Development Goal 12). This paper aims to analyse the background factors that explain consumer intention to use bioplastics with the aim of guiding company and government social marketing campaigns designed to encourage such behaviour.

To gather data, a survey was carried out using a sample of 3,612 people obtained via an online panel made up of participants over 18 years of age. The model and its hypotheses were tested by structural equations with the PLS technique using six independent variables obtained from the literature review.

The results of the variables “attitude towards bioplastics”, “subjective norms” and “activity to reduce plastic use” show a significant influence on intention to use bioplastics. This paper will also discuss the implications for governments and environmental managers to be taken into account when developing social marketing campaigns.

Given the importance of perceived social pressure in terms of behaviour regarding the use of recyclable bioplastics, social marketing campaigns may be developed to encourage environmentally-responsible behaviour amongst different social agents such as consumers, businesses, governmental organisations and suppliers.

This study demonstrates the factors that explain intentions to use bioplastics, which until now had been subject to very little research.

The purpose of this article is twofold. First, this study characterises the current state of the bio-packaging market's development. Second, it identifies key factors influencing and possible scenarios of the bio-packaging market transition to increase the market share of compostable packaging.

The results of 29 in-depth interviews (IDIs) with representatives of the key groups of bio-packaging supply chains' (SCs') stakeholders were the input for the consideration of the research problem.

The main economic, legal, social and technological enablers and barriers to the bio-packaging regime transition are recognised, and their impact at the market level is explained. The authors recognised the hybrid transition scenario towards an increase in the market share of compostable packaging related to the three traditional pathways of transformation, reconfiguration and technological substitution.

This study contributes to a better understanding of the socio-technical system theory by examining interdependencies between landscape (external environment), market regime (bio-packaging market) and niche innovations (compostable packaging) as well as system transition pathways. The findings and conclusions on bio-packaging market developments can be important lessons learnt to be applied in different countries due to the same current development stage of the compostable packaging lifecycle worldwide.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a new model in which the interrelationship between the barriers can be determined that hinder the implementation of effective recycling processes in the plastic sectors of India.

Today manufacturers do not want their input to be deemed waste and subsequently be discarded, so their efforts and resources have been channeled into the development of efficient recycling methods. However, there are several barriers hindering the implementation of effective and efficient recycling. In this paper several of the most influential barriers are taken into consideration and implemented in the interpretive structural modeling.

The results divided the barriers into four clusters and identified the weak and strong barriers and implemented relationships between them.

Globally plastic waste has been steadily increasing. Recycling plastic has received much attention because many companies are using it as a strategic tool to serve their customers and to generate good revenue, but there is a lack of effective recycling units in India. The work of this paper and its results will be helpful in the implementation of an effective and efficient recycling unit for the plastic sector.

The recycling process can be improved by avoiding barriers of PLASTIC recycling.

In this paper, the plastic industries of India are studied and analyzed, and the barriers are found.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the thermomechanical condition on the shape memory property of Polybutylene adipate-co-terephthalate (PBAT). PBAT is a widely researched and rapidly developed biodegradable copolyester. In a tensile test, we found that the fractured PBAT samples had a heat-driven shape memory effect which piqued our interest, and it will lay a foundation for the application of PBAT in new fields (such as heat shrinkable film).

The shape memory effect of PBAT and the effect of the thermomechanical condition on its shape memory property were confirmed and systematically investigated by a thermal mechanical analyzer and tensile machine.

The results showed that the PBAT film had broad shape memory transform temperature and exhibited excellent thermomechanical stability and shape memory properties. The shape memory fixity ratio (Rf) of the PBAT films was increased with the prestrain temperature and prestrain, where the highest Rf exceeded 90%. The shape memory recovery ratio (Rr) of the PBAT films was increased with the shape memory recovery temperature and decreased with the prestrain value, and the highest Rr was almost 100%. Moreover, the PBAT films had high shape memory recovery stress which increased with the prestrain value and decreased with the prestrain temperature, and the highest shape memory recovery stress can reach 7.73 MPa.

The results showed that PBAT had a broad shape memory transform temperature, exhibited excellent thermomechanical stability and shape memory performance, especially for the sample programmed at high temperature and had a larger prestrian, which will provide a reference for the design, processing and application of PBAT-based heat shrinkable film and smart materials.

This study confirmed and systematically investigated the shape memory effect of PBAT and the effect of the thermomechanical condition on the shape memory property of PBAT.

Protein-based films have good barrier characteristics against gas compared to synthetic films, but they have poor mechanical properties and high water vapour permeability (WVP) due to their hydrophilic nature. Sugarcane bagasse (SCB) is available abundantly in Southeast Asian countries and can be potentially utilized for its cellulose to increase the stiffness of the film. Hence, the purpose of this study was to develop a gelatine-based film from chicken feet incorporated with SCB.

Film-forming solutions (FFS) from chicken feet gelatine with different percentages of glycerol (25 and 35 per cent) were prepared by casting 4.0 g of FFS onto a rimmed silicone resin plate (50 × 50 mm²). Cellulose from SCB was purified and used to prepare hydrolyzed SCB. Films with 35 per cent glycerol were selected to be incorporated with different weight percentages (2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10.0 per cent) of hydrolyzed SCB to increase the tensile strength (TS) and lower the WVP of the films. Mechanical properties, colour and transparency of the films were also tested.

Films containing 35 per cent glycerol have lower TS but higher elongation at break compared to films prepared with 25 per cent glycerol. There were no significant differences between the films with 25 per cent and 35 per cent glycerol in thickness, WVP and transparency value tests. Film incorporated with 5.0 Wt.% SCB had a slight increment in TS (23.07 MPa) compared to the control film (22.50 MPa). WVP was also lowered from 2.18 × 10⁻¹¹gm⁻¹s⁻¹Pa⁻¹ to 1.85 × 10⁻¹¹gm⁻¹s⁻¹Pa⁻¹. The other properties, namely, thickness, colour measurement and transparency value, were significantly different (p < 0.05) but nearer to the properties of the control film.

This study incorporates hydrolyzed SCB to study the potential mechanical benefits in protein-based bio-films. There is potential to utilize agricultural waste (chicken feet and SCB) to develop food packaging films.

The purpose of this article is to provide information about interactions between pink-pigmented facultative methylotroph (PPFM) organisms and plants, their molecular mechanisms of methylotrophic metabolism, application of PPFMs in agriculture, biotechnology and bioremediation and also to explore lacuna in PPFMs research and direction for future research.

Research findings on PPFM organisms as potent plant growth promoting organisms are discussed in the light of reports published by various workers. Unexplored field of PPFM research are detected and their application as a new group of biofertilizer that also help host plants to overcome draught stress in poorly irrigated crop field is suggested.

PPFMs are used as plant growth promoters for improved crop yield, seed germination capacity, resistance against pathogens and tolerance against drought stress. Anti-oxidant and UV resistant properties of PPFM pigments protect the host plants from strong sunshine. PPFMs have excellent draught ameliorating capacity.

To meet the ever increasing world population, more and more barren, less irrigated land has to be utilized for agriculture and horticulture purpose and use of PPFM group of organisms due to their draught ameliorating properties in addition to their plant growth promoting characters will be extremely useful. PPFMs are also promising candidates for the production of various industrially and medicinally important enzymes and other value-added products. Wider application of this ecofriendly group of bacteria will reduce crop production cost thus improving economy of the farmers and will be a greener alternative of hazardous chemical fertilizers and fungicides.

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The purpose of this paper is to acquaint the readers with recent developments in biopolymer-based food packaging materials like natural biopolymers (such as starches and proteins), synthetic biopolymers (such as poly lactic acid), biopolymer blending and nanocomposites grounded on natural and synthetic biopolymers. This paper is an attempt to draw the readers towards the advantages and attributes of new era polymers to diminish the usage of traditional non-biodegradable polymers.

Plastic packaging for food and associated applications is non-biodegradable and uses up valuable and treasured non-renewable petroleum products. With the current focus on researching alternatives to petroleum, research is progressively being channelized towards the development of biodegradable food packaging, thereby reducing adverse impact on the environment.

Natural biopolymer-based nanocomposite packaging materials seem to have a scintillating future for a broad range of applications in the food industry, including advanced active food packaging with biofunctional attributes. The present review summarizes the scientific information of various packaging materials along with their attributes, applications and the methods for production.

This is an apropos review as there has been a recent renewed concern in research studies, both in the industry and academe, for development of new generation biopolymer-based food packaging materials, with possible applications in many areas.