BIOPLASTICS

FROM BANANA
PEELS
GROUP 4 – ST. MARIA GORETTI

MEMBERS:
AWA, JILSEN LUREINE
MORADA, MARIEL ANGELA
NORA, RASHID
OLAN, JANNEA MAE
ROXAS, ERIK
 CHAPTER I

Intoduction and Its Background

Plastics are very useful to us, humans. Versatile plastics inspire innovations

that help make life better, healthier and safer every day. Plastics are used to make

bicycle helmets, child safety seats and airbags in automobiles. They are in the cell

phones, televisions, computers and other electronic equipment that makes modern

life possible. They are in the roofs, walls, flooring and insulation that make homes

and buildings energy efficient. And plastics in packaging help keep foods safe and

fresh. However, inspite of its uses, it is a big threat to our environment. Due to the

people who are irresponsible, they are throwing garbage that contain plastics in

land and bodies of water. As a result, it causes pollution. Conventional plastics not

only take decades to decompose, but also produce toxins while degradation. So

our group think of an alternative way to lessen plastics in our environment. And

that is making bioplastics through banana peels. Bioplastics can be defined as

plastics made of biomass such as corn, banana peels and sugarcane.

Biodegradability of bioplastics has been widely publicized in society and the

demand for packaging is rapidly increasing among retailers and the food industry

at large scale. Our group think that this might be a solution to reduce pollution.
Statement of the Problem

GENERAL PROBLEM: Can we use banana peels to create an eco-friendly alternative

to plastics?

1. How can we use banana peels to create plastics?

2. What makes banana peels a plasticizer?

3. How much banana peels do we need to create an effective bioplastic?

Formulation of the Hypothesis

Significant of the Study

Bioplastics can reduce fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions in our

environment. Bioplastics degrade into environment without creating any pollution

unlike conventional plastics. Our environment is already polluted enough, using

bioplastics for a change, we can save the environment, keep it greener and can prevent

causing health problems to the people. Animals can also benefit from bioplastics.

Since conventional plastics can harm underwater, land and even airborne animals,

bioplastics can not.

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

For this investigatory project, instead of using the yellow kind of banana

peel, we will use the Green Plantain peels. The plantain peels contain more starch

than the yellow kind for the plantain peels’ starch content is 40%. In order to make

this project successful, we need to use the kind of banana peels that contains more

starch. We will also be using thyme leaves, vinegar, honey and cinnamon for this

project. Creating a bioplastic using ingredients that do not include chemicals can

take at least 3-5 days.

Definition of Terms

1. Banana Peels – main ingredient

2. Cinnamon - banishes the smell of vinegar that will be used.

3. Honey - also considered as Glycerol; it will be added into the starch as

plasticizer.

4. Plastic – the product we will use to compare with the result of our

experiment.

5. Thyme Leaves – gives the bioplastic its fibrous nature.

 6. Vinegar – a 6% in volume solution of acetic acid liberates acetate ions

and hydrogen ions in solution.

7. Water – it acts as a solvent to dissolve the starch and helps the starch

molecules to stay disrupted after heating.

CHAPTER II

Related Literature

1. BIOPLASTIC FROM ORGANIC WASTE

 Bio-based plastics mean plastics based on renewable resources. The

pattern of production is shifting from the true biodegradable plastics to

the bio-based plastics, and that trend is likely to persist in the future.

Bioplastics are plastics derived from renewable biomass sources, such as

vegetable fats and oils, corn starch, pea starch or micro biota. Bioplastics

are thus made from waste materials and not from products intended for

food production.

SOURCE: https://www.ijert.org

 Scientists use a free resource, organic waste and mimic the ordinary

process of composting to turn it into biodegradable plastic that’s safe for

fish and bacteria to eat. A scientist tries to explain the complicated

 procedure in simple terms: “Full Cycle Bioplastics manufactures

polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) bioplastic by using organic and cellulosic

waste as the feedstock. We take the waste, put it into a modifies digestion

unit, let everything break down and accelerate it. We take that liquid

form, feed the fatty acids to bacteria, which convert them into PHA,

which is basically micro-fat that can be sculpted into various shapes

such as packaging or forks. No petroleum, no chemicals involved. It’s an

organic process.”

SOURCE: https://sustainableamerica.org/blog/turning-food-waste-into-

bioplastics/

2. STARCH-BASED BIOPLASTICS

 Starch-based plastics have increased in relevance with the introduction

of improved resin grades, their ability to blend with other biopolymers

and an increasing number of suppliers. In fact, starch-based bioplastics

are widely employed in the medical industry because of their

biocompatibility, low toxicity, degradation properties and mechanical

properties.

SOURCE: https://greendotbioplastics.com/starch-based-plastics/
  Approximately 50% of the bioplastics used commercially are prepared

from starch. The production of starch-based bioplastics is simple, and

they are widely used for packaging applications. The tensile properties

of starch are suitable for the production of packing materials, and

glycerol is added into the starch as a plasticizer. The required

characteristics characteristics of the bioplastics are achieved by fine-

tuning the quantities of the additives.

SOURCE: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6439/7/4/32/htm

 Starch is one of the major sources in the development of bioplastic.

Many previous studies have been conducted by using starch as a natural

biopolymer. Due to its large availability, low cost, renewability and

biodegradability, starches are commonly used in the production of

bioplastics. Starch can behave like a thermoplastic in the presence of

plasticizer.

SOURCE:https://journal.hibiscuspublisher.com/index.php/BSTR/article

/download/352/358/

3. BANANA PEELS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF BIOPLASTICS

 Biodegradable plastics have an expanding range of potential

applications, and driven by the growing use of plastics in packaging and

 the perception that biodegrable plastics are “environmentally friendly.”

The banana fruit’s peel was selected for this experiment because it is a

waste-material rich of starch-according to Songklanakarin Journal of

Science and Technology.

SOURCE:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303942610_PROD

UCTION_OF_BIODEGRADABLE_PLASTIC_FROM_BANANA_PEEL

 The 1978 revelation, and the accompanying outcry, led to a

crashprogram by the Department of Agriculture to develop a “Green”

banana. By 1981, the program was deemed a success, having produced a

banana that degraded slowly but completely. Banana peels from before

1981 were not degradable but during the year 1981, up to the present,

banana peels have been found biodegradable.

SOURCE: http://www.creekcats.com/pnprice/banana.html

4. APPLICATIONS OF STARCH-BASED PLASTICS

 The use of bio-based materials to design a food packaging results an

interesting alternative to overcome this problem. Packaging based on

biopolymers must contain and protect the food products and maintain

their sensory quality and safety One of the most studied biopolymer is
 starch, due to its wide availability, non-toxic characteristics,

biodegradable character as well as low cost.

SOURCE: https://www.sciencedirect.com/book/9780120943396/starch-

based-materials-in-food-packaging

 Starch based plastics are complex blends of starch with compostable

plastics. Blending of starch with plastics improves water resistance,

processing properties and mechanical properties. Other packaging

products starch-based materials are frequently used in loose fill foams

for transport packaging. Another application is in service ware like cups,

plates and cutlery.

SOURCE: https://m.scirp.org

5. PROPERTIES OF BIOPLASTICS

 Bio-based, durable plastics, such as bio-based PE or bio-based PET,

possess properties that are identical to their conventional versions yet

they can help to reduce a product’s carbon footprint. Innovative

materials such as PLA, PHA or starch-based materials offer solutions

with completely new functionalities such as biodegradability and

compostability. Along with the growth in variety of bioplastic materials,

properties such as flexibility, durability, printability, transparency,

 barrier, heat resistance, gloss and many more have been significantly

enhanced.

SOURCE: https://www.european-bioplastics.org/faq-items/what-types-

of-bioplastic-do-exist-and-what-properties-do-they-have/

 Bioplastics is a broad term used to describe a range of plastic materials

that are either biodegradable or derived from renewable sources or both.

Bio-based and biodegradable bioplastics are made using renewable

sources, such as plant biomass and are suitable for disposable items,

such as, packaging, drink bottles and single-use food containers. Bio-

based and durable (non-biodegradable) bioplastics are made using

renewable resources but are designed to have a longer life span.

Petrochemical-based and biodegradable bioplastics are some

petrochemical-based plastics that can be biodegraded by the microbes in

the soil, compost or oceans.

SOURCE: https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/1474-bioplastics

Related Studies

1. Sixteen-year-old Turkish student Elif Bilgin discovered the starches and

cellulose contained in the outer layer of the bananas. Bilgin developed a

 chemical process that turns the peels into a non-decaying bioplastic that she

hopes will help replace the need for petroleum and combat pollution.

SOURCE: https://inhabitat.com/sixteen-year-old-student-from-turkey-turns-

banana-peels-into-bioplastic/

2. The success of bioplastic from banana peels, agar, sugar, corn starch and potato

starch is based on the fact that they are rich in starch. The films were prepared

successfully by the mixing and casting method. A brown colored elastic

material with tensile strength similar to a paper (when manually pulled) was

produced using banana peels. The bioplastic formed was comparatively fragile.

The composite produced from banana peels was thin, papery and showed good

tensile strength.

SOURCE: https://www.ijert.com/

3. Starch is one of the prime materials used to make bioplastics. The commonly

used bioplastic globally as of right now is the polyacetic acid. It has proven to

be extremely useful and promising mainly due to its physical and chemical

properties. Like the corn starch-based bioplastics made, it can also be easily

prepared on larger scales with proper manufacturing facilities.

SOURCE: 2018 Drug Invention Today Volume 10, Issue 7 (PDF)

4. The oil-based plastics cannot be rid easily and create landfills or environmental

pollution. Bioplastics can be defined as plastics made of biomass such as

banana peels and potato peels. Bioplastic is plastic made of biodegradable

materials such as banana peels, fruit waste, etc.

SOURCE: data.conferenceworld.in (PDF)

5. The material used in manufacturing the bioplastic, banana peels, was chosen

because it is one of the fruits that are very rich in starch, which consists of two

different types of polymer chains, called amylase and amylopectin, made up of

adjoined glucose molecules that are bonded together forming the plastic.

SOURCE: vixra.org (PDF)

6. The bioplastic made from banana peels in this experiment was able to be

molded and used in a way that plastic was used. If further processing will be

possible sometime in the future, this bioplastic seems a promising replacement

to the toxic form of petroleum-based plastic. This bioplastic also, does not

require a very heavy manufacturing system.

SOURCE: www.jetir.org