Biodegradable Polymer Compounds Reinforced with Banana Fiber for the Production of Protective Bags for Banana Fruits in the Context of Circular Economy
Despite efforts to move towards a circular economy and growing interest in bioplastics, they comprise only 1% of the 320 million tonnes of plastic produced in the EU each year. The use of plant-based fibres is on the rise to reduce waste and environmental problems.
The article published in MDPI’s Agronomy Journal studies the potential of biodegradable compounds and banana fibre for use in protective bags for banana fruit. To protect the fruit, many farmers use protective plastic bags during harvesting that end up in the soil. The purpose of this research is to replace non-biodegradable bags with bio-based bags reinforced with banana fibre, supporting a circular economy.
The study, based on the banana crops of Canary Island, was conducted at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Three generations of films have been formulated to obtain this material, consisting of starch, PLA, PHA and PCL Mater-Bi. Additives like TiO2 were added to filter ultraviolet light. Leaves of canary banana waste were processed in a pilot plant at the university to obtain banana fibre. Thereafter the material went through stages of compounding extrusion, mechanical characterization and film blowing extrusion.
The banana fibre was validated in the field by bagging banana clusters to qualitatively examine probable postharvest disorders, and farmers’ feedback was to increase the transparency of the material. Results from mechanical tests indicated that the different compounds developed had higher mechanical properties compared to the LDPE. Upon performing biodegradability tests, the material was found to be compliant with the requirements of EN 13432 for biodegradability and composting. Moreover, the 3rd generation material showed no ecotoxic effects.
The study proved to be helpful to approach other applications of banana fibre for creating a circular economy of waste.
