Use of Agricultural Wastes for Developing Planet-Friendly Biodegradable Packaging

From a technical standpoint, the aim of the study is to assess the viability of combining agricultural wastes such as rice straws, corn husks, and sugarcane bagasse to develop biodegradable packaging. Following this, the waste was sun-dried and combined for pulping using 15% (w/v) caustic solution. The pulp obtained was blended in a mixer, then bleached and purified using chlorine. These are then placed in molds and then air-dried before forming into packaging bags. The bags formed are sturdy despite being crude due to the high cellulosic content of the agricultural wastes, which is between 20% and 39% hemicellulose and 40% and 55% cellulose. From a business standpoint, an online survey was conducted to assess the acceptability of the public for biodegradable packaging. Results showed that 100% of the respondents are open to using biodegradable packaging from agricultural waste and are willing to pay for it if it is the same price as plastic packaging. Only 90% of the respondents are willing to pay a slightly higher price both for the packaging and the products that use it. In addition, only 95% of the respondents are willing to buy food products that use biodegradable packaging due to the fear of contamination.