All-Cellulose Bioplastics from Waste Wood Particles

The concerning accumulation of nonbiodegradable plastic films in the environment and the associated risks have prompted a vigorous quest for biobased degradable substitutes. However, creating biomass-based plastics with a combination of high mechanical strength, water resistance, and rapid degradation in a natural environment presents a great challenge. Herein, we report a facile method to develop high-performance all-cellulose bioplastics from waste wood particles by low-energy microfibrillation and simple oxidation. The resulting oxidized all-cellulose microfiber films (OCMFs) containing a densely packed microscale fiber network structure simultaneously achieve high light transmittance (≈85.1%), low haze (≈6%), and notably high wet strength (≈32.34 MPa), superior to those of typical cellulose nanofiber films with inherent high hydrophilicity. Moreover, the thickness of OCMF can be easily regulated via a self-adhesive lamination approach, overcoming the limited film thickness formed by vacuum filtration. Coupled with low-valuable waste raw materials, all-cellulose components, low-energy microscale fabrication, and high optical clarity and water resistance, the proposed OCMF proves its bright future as ecofriendly alternative bioplastics in sustainable materials.