Traditional food packaging

In addition to traditional food packaging applications, several companies are exploring nonfood packaging applications for PLA, including [1] ... 

In the past decades, polymer materials have been continuously replacing more traditional materials such as paper, metal, glass, stone, wood, natural fibres and natural rubber in the fields of clothing industry, E E components, automotive materials, aeronautics, leisure, food packaging, sports goods, etc. Without the existence of suitable polymer materials progress in many of these areas would have been limited. Polymer materials are appreciated for their chemical, physical and economical qualities including low production cost, safety aspects and low environmental impact (cf. life-cycle analysis). 

Packaging Technology and Science 16, No.6, Nov.-Dec.2003, p.223-9 PROPERTIES OF ANTIMICROBIAL PLASTICS CONTAINING TRADITIONAL FOOD PRESERVATIVES... 

The growing importance of medical plastics has allowed POs to step outside their traditional low-cost roles and serve in life-and-death situations. However, their use in medical components is complicated by the degree to which they can resist various sterilization methods, including those that use damaging radiation. At the same time, more heat-sterilizable food packaging also requires POs that resist hot retort treatments. 

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