Production of biodegradable plastics using starch and waste fruit peels

Abstract

Plastic pollution is the accumulation of plastic in the earth’s environment that effects the wildlife, wild habitat and humans. It is inexpensive and takes many years for degradation and resistance to natural processes. Bio plastics are plastics derived from renewable biomass sources such as vegetable fats, oils, corn starch, rice straw, woodchips, food waste and Agricultural bio product. In olden studies, many materials such as woodchip`s, food waste, Agricultural waste, starch, Petro-based polymers, cellulose, nitrocellulose etc., have been used for the production of bio-plastic. In this study, two types of bananas (red and green banana) peels, rice starch, corn starch, potato starch and commercial starch were used in different proportions for the production of bio plastic. After production, its basic properties such as solubility and elongation were analysed. Based on all the testing that was carried out, the bio degradable plastic from the banana peel was found to be the best one compared to other types of bioplastcic.