Banana Stems and Bamboo: A Ray of Hope in War against Plastic

With the ban of single-use plastic. a team of researchers from Centre for Incubation, Innovation, Research and Consultancy (CIIRC), Jyothi Institute of Technology, Bengaluru, has come up with bio-degradable alternatives using residues from sugarcane bagasse, rice and wheat straw, coconut coir and banana stems.

The researchers have used a natural binder developed by CIIRC to bind the raw materials, which are not treated with any chemicals to ensure their inherent characteristics are disturbed. A start-up incubated at CIIRC, agringenium Innovations Pvt. Ltd., has come up with two products: Packaging Boxes and Sapling Trays. The products will be priced depending on the material used. For example, a box made of coconut coir costs Rs. 7, whereas the one made of banana fibre is Rs. 15. Banana stem fibre costs Rs. 150-200 per kg compared to coconut coir.

Bamboo is a highly renewable, natural material that has antibacterial, antifungal properties and is biodegradable as opposed to plastic. Plastic can take up to 1000 years to biodegrade and is the leading cause of mass pollution all over the world.

Biodegradable alternatives to plastics are available in limited quantities and are expensive. Raw materials can be used in their original form. This is not only reduces cost, but also preserves the inherent properties of raw materials that provide excellent mechanical properties and stability to the products. Food delivery platforms and restaurants can make use of eco-friendly alternatives for packaging.

Sapling trays can be Cattle Fodder:

It can be done because these are made up of rice and wheat straw. We often see stray cattle feeding on garbage heaps. Biodegradable trays, dumped in mounds of waste, can be fodder for cattle. The sapling trays contain micro-nutrients that can promote seedling growth, unlike the widely used plastic trays. Also, the raw materials used can retain moisture, nutrients and other additives for a longer period than plastic trays.

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