<p>Alternative and sustainable sources for paper production, e.g., agricultural residues or microbial biomass, can reduce the environmental impact of deforestation and conserve natural resources. In this regard, two types of papers were developed using a symbiotic culture of yeast and bacteria (SCOBY) with spent tea and sugarcane bagasse serving as raw materials. The developed papers were evaluated and compared for their structural, thermal, and physicochemical properties. Notably, the water content of both the developed papers were &gt; 96%. On the other hand, the BET surface area of Kombucha tea derived paper (KBC) (24.86 m²/g) was found superior in comparison to the paper derived from sugarcane bagasse&#xa0;(SBC) (6.07 m²/g). Likewise, the average pore diameter of KBC and SBC was observed as 23.10&#xa0;nm and 4.47&#xa0;nm, respectively. Further evaluation revealed notable differences between both the developed papers in terms of the availability of the functional groups, crystallinity, and thermostability. The crystallinity in KBC and SBC was calculated as 92.6% and 93.1%, respectively. Furthermore, the average tensile strength of KBC and SBC was recorded as 105.30 ± 9.93&#xa0;N and 242.19 ± 19.16&#xa0;N, respectively. Overall, the results depicted specific structural and thermal characteristics of the bacterial cellulose developed using spent tea and sugarcane bagasse as raw material. This study can be crucial in deciding the raw material for the development of paper with desired quality.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>