Molded fiber packaging made from natural fibers is widely used across various applications. However, products intended for direct food contact still predominantly rely on virgin fibers, which are limited in availability and compete with other industrial uses. Agricultural residues are often combusted on the fields, which leads to air pollution. Therefore, their utilization offers a huge potential as substitute for wood based fibers, reducing both the negative effects from open burning as well as reducing pressure by the demands of virgin wood based fibers. In addition, the integration of functional barriers, such as those against grease and water, typically depends on fossil-based and polyfluorinated materials, which limits recyclability, may pose potential health risks to humans and affect the environment. The Indo-German project BIOMOPAC (Biobased Functional Molded Fiber Packaging Made From Agricultural Residues) addresses these challenges by developing an innovative, fully biobased approach, using agricultural residues for the molded fiber product as well as for the functional barrier. Beyond optimizing pulping and subsequent molding pro-
cesses, the project focuses on the development of a spray application method to add the highly fibrillated fibers directly onto the molded fiber products. This approach enables the efficient use of fiber-based materials from several biomass streams, while achieving a balance between barrier functionality, recyclability and environmental and economic impacts.