Using Banana Peels in Bioplastic Production
Pollution is a worldwide problem that is getting worse day by day. About 40% of the Earth’s oceans are covered with plastic. It takes between 500-1,000 years for plastic to degrade. To combat this problem bioplastics can be used as a greener and more efficient alternative. Bioplastics are cheaper to make, are made of materials found in nature, and decompose fairly easily, giving back to the environment (“Producing Biodegradable Plastic Just Got Cheaper and Greener.”).
The goal of this experiment is to determine which peel ripeness will provide a stronger bioplastic. Which will have a long term benefit to the ecosystem by providing a currently temporary, but hopefully permanent replacement to petroleum-based plastics. This research was a step in the right direction towards achieving that as it has shed light on which way to move forward for future research.
An experiment was conducted in order to test if banana peels of a 3-ripe grade would yield a better bioplastic than a 6-ripe ripe grade banana. It was hypothesized that the 3-ripe would yield a stronger and tougher plastic because the green peel contains more starch that can be utilized for the formation of plastic. The experiment consisted of taking banana peels of 3 and 6 ripeness, cutting them up into small pieces and turning them into a liquid paste. This paste is filled with starch that is then baked for a set amount of time. After the paste is formed and cooled it was tested to it’s breaking point using a force sensor. Overall, the null hypothesis was rejected and the alternate hypothesis proved to be correct. The 3-ripe bananas were significantly stronger.
Research Conducted By:
Stavro Mikha
Sterling Heights High School
Dominic Poci
Sterling Heights High School
Warren Consolidated Schools