Open Access

ARTICLE

Sustainable Egg Packaging Waste Biocomposites Derived from Recycled Wood Fibers and Fungal Filaments

Ilze Irbe^1,*, Laura Andze¹, Inese Filipova^1,2

1 Cellulose laboratory, Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry, Riga, LV-1006, Latvia
2 Faculty of Forest and Environmental Sciences, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Jelgava, LV-3001, Latvia

* Corresponding Author: Ilze Irbe. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Advances in Eco-friendly Wood-Based Composites: Design, Manufacturing, Properties and Applications)

Journal of Renewable Materials 2025, 13(11), 2139-2154. https://doi.org/10.32604/jrm.2025.02025-0107

Received 03 July 2025; Accepted 17 September 2025; Issue published 24 November 2025

Abstract

Growing environmental concerns and the need for sustainable alternatives to synthetic materials have led to increased interest in bio-based composites. This study investigates the development and characterization of sustainable egg packaging waste (EPW) biocomposites derived from recycled wood fibers and fungal mycelium filaments as a natural binder. Three formulations were prepared using EPW as the primary substrate, with and without the addition of hemp shives and sawdust as co-substrates. The composites were evaluated for granulometry, density, mechanical strength, hygroscopic behavior, thermal conductivity, and fire performance using cone calorimetry. Biocomposites, composed exclusively of egg packaging waste, exhibited favorable fire resistance, lower total heat release (THR) and total smoke release (TSR), extended time to ignition (TTI), reduced hygroscopicity, and higher flexural strength. Biocomposites, containing hemp shives, demonstrated improved compressive strength and thermal insulation but showed weaker fire resistance. Biocomposites, incorporating sawdust, showed intermediate properties with the longest flameout time (TTF) and highest heat release values. Overall, the results demonstrate that EPW-based biocomposites can be tailored through substrate composition to achieve desirable combinations of mechanical, thermal, and fire-retardant properties, highlighting their potential as sustainable alternatives to conventional synthetic materials in building and packaging applications.

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Keywords

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