**4. Conclusion and future outlook**

The use of biodegradable packaging materials is becoming widespread day by day with the increase in environmental awareness, the desire to move away from the use of petroleum-derived packaging materials and the developing technology. The fact that natural resources, such as starch, cellulose, and protein, are the raw materials of a significant portion of biodegradable plastics increases the usability of these packaging materials. The most important reason why bioplastics cannot compete with plastics yet is high research and development costs and low production capacity. In order to reduce the production cost of PHA, it is important to use some cheap carbon sources and to make the best use of the waste. It has been revealed that biodegradable films have weaker properties in terms of barrier and mechanical properties, which are important in food packaging when compared to commercial plastics. In order to strengthen the barrier and mechanical properties of the films, montmorillonite, cellulose nanocrystals, nanoclay, and similar nanofillers can be used as well as biocomposite applications. It is clear that biodegradable packaging materials have potential for the food industry. It is thought that with the increase in crude oil prices in the future, renewable raw material sources will gain more importance and the production of environmentally friendly plastics will replace today's plastics. For this reason, it is thought that the use of environmentally friendly plastics, which do not

have raw material shortages compared to petrochemical plastics, will be produced in much larger quantities with the help of new processes to be developed and more detailed studies should be done on these materials. By evaluating the food industrial wastes together, it can be achieved to develop high-performance packaging materials with stronger mechanical and barrier properties. As biodegradable packaging materials develop, it is expected that the production and use of disposable materials, such as biodegradable cups, cutlery, and plates, will become widespread.
