Title:Development and Characterization of Polymeric-based Biomaterial from Agro-food Waste: A Sustainable and Eco-friendly Approach Towards
Plastic Pollution
Volume: 26
Issue: 4
Author(s): Rabbia Hussain, Athar Aziz, Rashid Amin and Asma Khurshid*
Affiliation:
- DOW Research Institute of
Biotechnology and Biomedical Sciences, DOW University of Health Sciences, Karachi, 75280, Pakistan
Keywords:
Bioplastics, agro-food waste, FTIR, biomaterial, environmental pollution, carcinogenic.
Abstract:
Introduction: Commercial plastics are potentially hazardous and can be carcinogenic
due to the incorporation of chemical additives along with other additional components utilized
as brominated flame retardants and phthalate plasticizers during production that excessively
produce large numbers of gases, litter, and toxic components resulting in environmental pollution.
Method: Biodegradable plastic derived from natural renewable resources is the novel, alternative,
and innovative approach considered to be potentially safe as a substitute for traditional synthetic
plastic as they decompose easily without causing any harm to the ecosystem and natural
habitat. The utilization of undervalued compounds, such as by-products of fruits and vegetables
in the production of biodegradable packaging films, is currently a matter of interest because of
their accessibility, affordability, ample supply, nontoxicity, physiochemical and nutritional
properties. Industrial food waste was processed under controlled conditions with appropriate
plasticizers to extract polymeric materials. Biodegradability, solubility, and air test analysis were
performed to examine the physical properties of polymers prior to the characterization of the
biofilm by Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) for the determination of polymeric
characteristics.
Result: The loss of mass examined in each bioplastic film was in the range of 0.01g to 0.20g.
The dimension of each bioplastic was recorded in the range of 4.6 mm to 28.7 mm. The existence
of -OH, C=C, C=O stretching, and other crucial functional groups that aid in the creation of
a solid polymeric material are confirmed by FTIR analysis. This study provides an alternative
approach for sustainable and commercially value-added production of polymeric-based biomaterials
from agro-industrial waste as they are rich in starch, cellulose, and pectin for the development
of bio-plastics.
Conclusion: The rationale of this project is to achieve a straightforward, economical, and durable
method for the production of bio-plastics through effective utilization of industrial and
commercial fruit waste, ultimately aiding in revenue generation.
