Biodegradable Plant Pots Made from Malus domestica (Apple) Pomace, Musa acuminata (Banana) Peel, and Cocos nucifera (Coconut) Fiber

• Main Authors: Aventurado, Jhon Aeron B., Belan, Xyrene Ajielle A., De Castro, John Nico T., Manuel, Dharyscielle V.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2022
• Subjects: agricultural waste; biodegradability; biodegradable plant pot; polymerization; tensile strength
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/conf_shsrescon/2022/paper_men/2; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1041&context=conf_shsrescon
• Institution: De La Salle University

Agricultural wastes continue to be underutilized in the world today; thus, extensive studies are being conducted for the applications of these wastes. Agricultural wastes contain certain biopolymers suitable for bioplastic production. This study was conducted to determine the effect of varying ratios of apple pomace to banana peel on the tensile strength and biodegradability properties of biodegradable plant pots. An experimental research design was utilized wherein three experimental groups of plants pots produced through the polymerization process containing apple pomace to banana peel to coconut fiber ratios of 3:6:1, 9:9:2, and 6:3:1 and a control group, were tested and compared in terms of the specified properties. Results showed that increased apple pomace content also increases both the tensile strength and biodegradability properties of the plant pots. The commercial cocopot had the best properties with means of 0.28420 N/mm2 and 2.55% weight loss, followed by the 9:9:2 pot ratio in terms of tensile strength with a 0.00561 N/mm2 mean and the 3:6:1 pot ratio in terms of biodegradability with a 3.38% weight loss mean. Through the One-Way ANOVA tests, the calculated F values of the tensile strength (250.17) and biodegradability (115.12) were found to be greater than the critical F value (4.07). Thus, there were significant differences found between the plant pot groups in terms of their tensile strength and biodegradability properties. Moreover, plant pot A was found to be comparable to the commercial cocopot in terms of biodegradability.