Production of Sustainable Bioplastic Films from Banana Pseudostem Waste: Experimental Development and Preliminary Evaluation

The continually growing problem of non-biodegradable plastic waste generated from packaging is creating significant environmental issues that call for the development of eco-friendly substitutes based on renewable materials. Banana pseudostem is an ideal candidate as an available agricultural waste product containing large amounts of naturally occurring polymer-based materials. Utilizing banana pseudostem as the primary raw material for producing biodegradable bioplastics can be used to solve the problems associated with managing agricultural waste, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions through decreased reliance on petroleum-based plastics. A laboratory scale bioplastic film fabrication method was developed to utilize banana pseudostem as a sustainable raw material source for developing biodegradable bioplastic films. After cleaning, drying, grinding, and treating the banana pseudostem to remove impurities (alkaline and hydrogen peroxide bleaching), it was then blended with agar (film forming) and glycerin (natural plasticizer). Following blending, the mixture was heated, casted onto a flat surface and allowed to dry at a controlled rate to create bioplastic films. The successful demonstration of the capability to generate continuous bioplastic films with a smooth surface and appropriate structural integrity (flexibility) confirmed the viability of utilizing banana pseudostem as a sustainable resource for generating biodegradable films. This study established a green technology path toward transforming agricultural waste into high-value bioplastic products. The results of this research will provide foundational knowledge for application in various areas such as sustainable packaging systems, single-use biodegradable products, and circular bio-economies, and will enable the use of artificial intelligence based methods for optimizing the processes involved in characterizing these new materials.