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Gonçalves Oliveira Valente da Cruz-Lopes, Luísa Paula
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- Plastic Food Packaging: Perceptions and Attitudes of Portuguese Consumers about Environmental Impact and RecyclingPublication . Weber Macena, Morgana; Carvalho, Rita; Cruz-Lopes, Luísa; Guiné, Raquel P. F.The use of plastics for packaging has some advantages, since they are flexible and inexpensive. However, most plastics are of single use, which, combined with low recycling or reuse ratios, contributes substantially to environmental pollution. This work is part of a project studying the habits of Portuguese citizens concerning plastic food packaging and focuses on aspects related to sustainability. The survey was carried out via an online questionnaire about sustainability, recycling, and knowledge of the effects of plastic materials or their residues on the environment. The results were obtained based on a statistical analysis of the data. The participants tend to think about the negative impact of plastic packages on the environment; 39% sometimes do not buy plastic; and 30% try to look for alternatives. A substantial fraction, 81%, support the avoidance of plastic utensils and reduction in the use of plastic bags. Most participants have a good knowledge of recycling and strongly agree with the use of recycled materials, and 87% of respondents practice separation of different types of waste for recycling. Changing plastic consumption habits has not been an easy task. Nevertheless, it is expected that society will increasingly move toward sustainable habits, questioning its actions and considering their impact on the environment.
- Consumer perspective about plastic food packagingPublication . Macena, Morgana; Cruz-Lopes, Luísa; Guiné, RaquelPlastic materials have been increasingly used for food in the latest decades, due to the many advantages associated with these materials: they offer considerable design flexibility; they are cheap and lightweight; and they have a wide range of physical and optical properties important to preserve the foods. Plastics made from petroleum are not degradable and are discarded in the environment, originating huge environmental problems, threatening all forms of life by entering the food chains. This work focused on the perspectives of Portuguese consumers concerning plastic food packaging and its consequences for the environment and the ecosystems. The research included a questionnaire survey applied to a sample of 385 adult citizens. The results showed that the participants are inclined to reflect about the negative impact of plastic packaging on the ecosystems and about 40% admit that they sometimes do not buy plastic while 30% try to use alternative materials. An important percentage, over 80%, are in favour of prohibition to use plastic utensils of single usage and the limitation in the use of plastic bags to carry goods and foods in particular. Most participants revealed a good knowledge about recycling and are favourable to the use of recycled materials. Nearly 90% of the participants separate the different types of waste aimed at recycling. Although shifting the usage of plastic towards more sustainable options has been facing some difficulties, it is also verified that consumers are becoming more worried about the impact of their choices on the sustainability of ecosystems and the whole planet Earth.
- Consumer Perspectives About the Quality and Safety of Plastic Packaging Used for FoodPublication . Guiné, Raquel P. F.; Weber, M.; Lopes, Luísa P. CruzFood packaging is essential in today's globalized markets to preserve the foods or beverages, guaranteeing their quality and safety along the food supply chain. Plastics have been used extensively for food packaging due to their many advantages, like being light, cheap, and versatile. However, some of the chemical molecules released from plastics may have toxic effects on the human body if ingested, and they are also harmful to the environment. In this way, the present work investigated consumer awareness about food quality and safety when in contact with plastic packaging materials, and also the impact of these plastics on human health. The research was conducted through a questionnaire survey applied after approval by the Ethics Committee to a sample of 487 Portuguese participants. The obtained results revealed that most of the participants consider food safety and quality aspects when buying food products (85% and 93% of respondents, respectively). As recognized by the participants, the most important functions of the plastic package were to protect and preserve the food. It was also found that the general consumer still has very limited knowledge about the possible toxicity of molecules that could migrate from the plastic to the food. Nevertheless, other adverse effects of plastics related to environmental pollution and degradation of marine fauna are well recognised. So, in conclusion, it is necessary to further inform the Portuguese citizens about possible toxicity of some chemical compounds present in plastic packaging which can reach the human body, either by being released from the package into the food or by being absorbed from the environmental micro plastics which are becoming abundant in nature as result of incorrect plastic disposal.
- Plastic Food Packaging: Perceptions and Attitudes of Portuguese Consumers about Environmental Impact and RecyclingPublication . Macena, Morgana; Carvalho, Rita; Cruz-Lopes, Luísa; Guiné, RaquelThe use of plastics for packaging has some advantages, since they are flexible and inexpensive. However, most plastics are of single use, which, combined with low recycling or reuse ratios, contributes substantially to environmental pollution. This work is part of a project studying the habits of Portuguese citizens concerning plastic food packaging and focuses on aspects related to sustainability. The survey was carried out via an online questionnaire about sustainability, recycling, and knowledge of the effects of plastic materials or their residues on the environment. The results were obtained based on a statistical analysis of the data. The participants tend to think about the negative impact of plastic packages on the environment; 39% sometimes do not buy plastic; and 30% try to look for alternatives. A substantial fraction, 81%, support the avoidance of plastic utensils and reduction in the use of plastic bags. Most participants have a good knowledge of recycling and strongly agree with the use of recycled materials, and 87% of respondents practice separation of different types of waste for recycling. Changing plastic consumption habits has not been an easy task. Nevertheless, it is expected that society will increasingly move toward sustainable habits, questioning its actions and considering their impact on the environment.
- Perceptions and knowledge regarding quality and safety of plastic materials used for food packagingPublication . Macena, Morgana; Carvalho, Rita; Cruz-Lopes, Luísa; Guiné, Raquel P. F.The objective of this study is to investigate the consumer perceptions about quality and safety of foods packed in plastic, as well as the impact of plastic materials on human health. To carry out the study, a questionnaire survey about the consumption habits and knowledge about plastic packaging was conducted to a sample of 487 Portuguese adult citizens. The results revealed that most respondents (81%) think about food safety and quality when purchasing foods. Additionally, it was found that the consumer’s knowledge about the toxicity of components possibly migrating from the plastic packaging to the food is still limited (only 46% of participants). However, other negative effects of plastics well known to consumers include environmental pollution and marine fauna degradation (67 and 82% of participants, respectively). Thus, it was concluded that the Portuguese population need to be further educated about the toxicity of some chemical compounds present in plastic packaging, which can be ingested by migrating to the food or which can be absorbed from the environmental microplastics resulting from incorrect disposal.