近年来，可持续性包装和绿色包装已成为我国食品包装产业中的热门话题。在零售商要求、公众意识、经济压力(特别是石油产品)和政府政策等多重因素的综合推动下，可持续性已经渗透到了食品包装的方方面面。相关科研机构和包装企业，开始着手进行新型可食性塑料包装膜的制备和性能研究。
In recent years, sustainable packaging and green packaging have become a hot topic in China's food packaging industry. Sustainability has penetrated into all aspects of food packaging, driven by retailer requirements, public awareness, economic pressures (especially petroleum products) and government policies. Relevant research institutes and packaging enterprises began to study the preparation and properties of new edible plastic packaging film.
普通包装在为人们的生活提供便利的同时，也产生了包装废弃物。这既加重了环境的负担，也增加了资源浪费的可能性。随着食品科技和包装工业的迅速发展，许多新型的包装材料和包装形式不断出现。其中，专家认为，可食性环保包装材料将引领食品包装产业可持续发展。
Ordinary packaging not only provides convenience for people's life, but also produces packaging waste. This not only increases the burden of the environment, but also increases the possibility of waste of resources. With the rapid development of food science and technology and packaging industry, many new packaging materials and packaging forms are emerging. Among them, experts believe that edible environmental protection packaging materials will lead the sustainable development of food packaging industry.
再生的包装材料主要是塑料包装，用物理方法处理后可以制成再生包装容器，用化学方法处理后可以制成再生包装制品，重复再用包装材料主要用来包装啤酒、饮料等的玻璃瓶包装，可以反复使用多次。但这两种方法美中不足，只减少了对环境的污染，到最后还要面对污染环境的问题。随着低碳环保理念成为社会的主旋律，很多领域都在践行，包装材料领域也是如此。
Recycled packaging materials are mainly plastic packaging, which can be made into recycled packaging containers after physical treatment, and recycled packaging products after chemical treatment. Repeated packaging materials are mainly used to package glass bottles of beer and beverages, which can be used repeatedly. But these two methods are not enough. They only reduce the pollution of the environment, but also face the problem of pollution in the end. With the concept of low carbon environmental protection becoming the main theme of society, many fields are practicing, and so is packaging materials.
事实上，在我国，可食性包装很多早已应用于实际生活中。例如，蜡、油、明胶等涂覆在食品、水果表层，可有效减缓水分流失，延长货架期;糖果、糕点外层包覆的糯米纸，由番薯、玉米或小麦粉等淀粉做成，入口即化，用来防止与外层包装粘连;冰淇淋甜筒的玉米烘焙包装、香肠肠衣等均是典型的可食用包装。
In fact, in our country, many edible packaging has already been applied in real life. For example, wax, oil, gelatin and other coatings on the surface of food and fruit can effectively slow down water loss and prolong shelf life; candy and pastry coated with glutinous rice paper, made of sweet potato, corn or wheat flour starch, is instantly imported to prevent adhesion with the outer packaging; corn baking packaging of ice cream cone, sausage coat and other typical edible packaging.
食品加工业迅猛发展，所需的包装也日益增加。据了解，市面上的绿色包装材料有很多种，大体上可以分为重复再用和再生的包装材料、可食性包装材料、可降解材料和纸材料。而可降解材料包装使用完可以自行降解和还原，对环境没有污染;天然植物纤维制成的纸包装回收利用价值很高，技术也很成熟。可食性包装材料以天然可食性物质(如多糖、蛋白质等)为原料，通过不同分子间相互作用而形成可食性包装膜。根据选材和工艺不同，可分为多糖可食性包装膜、蛋白可食性包装膜、复合型可食性包装膜等。
With the rapid development of food processing industry, more and more packaging is needed. It is understood that there are many kinds of green packaging materials on the market. Generally speaking, they can be divided into reusable and recycled packaging materials, edible packaging materials, degradable materials and paper materials. The packaging of degradable materials can be degraded and reduced by itself without pollution to the environment. Paper packaging made of natural plant fibers has high recycling value and mature technology. Edible packaging materials take natural edible substances (such as polysaccharides, proteins, etc.) as raw materials, and form edible packaging films through the interaction of different molecules. According to the material selection and process, it can be divided into polysaccharide edible packaging film, protein edible packaging film, compound edible packaging film and so on.