CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Every day we use plastics as part of our daily lives. There is an increasing demand for

plastic, from the highly technological fields of electronics, fiber optics, and pharmaceuticals to the

basic necessities such as food packaging food wrappers, garbage bags, straws and fishing net

(Girao et al, n.d.).

According to Academia (n.d.), plastics have many redeeming ecological features; in fact,

many of the techniques we utilize in our design involved targeted use of plastics products. Their

durability and low maintenance reduce material replacement, their lightweight reduces shipping

energy, their formation into glue products allows for the creation of engineered number and sheet

products from recycled wood, and their formulation, into superior insulation and sealant products

improve the energy performance of our structures. Although it is convenient, this high demand of

plastics has been a major contributor to the world’s present garbage problems. Plastics pose a threat

to the environment because the breakdown of different types of plastic leads to the release of

various toxic chemicals. Common plastics such as fossil fuel plastics are derived from petroleum.

These plastics rely more on fossil fuels and produce more greenhouse gases.

Basically, plastics can be classified as a group of man-made or natural organic materials

that can be molded and then hardened, including many types of resins, resinoids, polymers,

cellulose derivatives, casein materials and proteins (Keshav, n.d.)

Bioplastics are plastics derived from renewable biomass sources, such as vegetable fats

and soils, corn starch, pea starch or microbiota. Nowadays, bioplastics are made by corn starch,
potatoes or banana starch which is used by humans and animals for their living. Some common

bioplastics are packaging materials, dining utensils, food packaging and insulation (Goswami,

2014).

According to Drawdown.org (n.d.), most bioplastics are employed in packaging but they

are finding means into everything from textiles to pharmaceuticals to electronics. Research

continues to push the bounds of applications, feed stocks and formulation. Bioplastics can isolate

carbon, especially when made from waste biomass. The massive challenge for bioplastics is

separation from wastes and acceptable processing.

In most circumstances, people tend to dispose peels of any fruit or vegetable. According

to Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (2018), peels should not be treated as waste

instead use it as fertilizer or used it as additives.

In Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental, Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas) is one of the most

produced root crop and many people used it as their business and a source of income. Instead of

disposing the peels, these peels should be used as an alternative material in producing plastic as it

contains amylose and amylopectin which is a natural polymer made of glucose from the starch.

Because of these observations, the researchers aimed to produce and develop a bioplastic

drinking straw from sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) peels and its capability to mitigate the

problems brought by plastics.

Statement of the Problem

1. What are the bioplastic properties produced in terms of strength, shelf-life and durability?

2. What is the significant difference between commercial plastic straw and bioplastic straws

made out of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) peels?

3. How can sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) peels serve as an active ingredient in making

bioplastic?

Objectives

This study was conducted to determine the ability of the bioplastic straw from Sweet Potato

(Ipomoea batatas) peels. It specifically aimed to:

1. Determine the produced bioplastic properties in terms of:

a.) Strength

b.) Shelf life

c.) Biodegradability

2. Determine how Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas) peels can serve as an active ingredient

in making bioplastic.

3. Determine the significant difference between commercial plastic straws and bioplastic

straws made out of Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas) peels.

Significance of the Study

The use of Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas) peels as bioplastic drinking straw is of great

help in lessening the environmental and health problems about plastics. When people start to use

this kind of bioplastic, pollution will decrease may it be on land, water and air. The produced

bioplastic will benefit the different members of the society.

Facilities. Commercial facilities may produce and use this kind of plastic to prevent much

contribution of toxic waste in our area. Using a bioplastic as drinking straw and as packaging is a

new level of progress. It encourages us to solve nature problems through the nature itself.

Community. Bioplastic will lessen the health problem in the community. There are no

health-damaging additives contained, like phthalates or bisphenol-A. These will also lead to the

reduction of non-biodegradable waste in each community, which pollutes the environment.

Government. This will help the government in facing a worldwide crisis about plastics.

This study could be a significant element in the government's future businesses.

Future Researchers. This will serve as the reference for the future researchers and guide

them to make new innovations about bioplastic in the future.

Scope and Delimitation

This study was conducted at Pelong 1, Aloran from July 2019 to August 2019. 10 kilograms

of sweet potato (Ipomoeia batatas) were bought at Oroquieta City Market. The sweet potatoes

were washed with distilled water and then manually peeled which is our main ingredient in making

bioplastic.

This study will only focus on the determination of the ability of bioplastic drinking straw

from sweet potato peels by determining its properties in terms of strength, shelf life and durability,

determining the significant difference between commercial plastic straws and bioplastic straws

made out of sweet potato peels and determining how sweet potato peels can serve as an active

ingredient in making bioplastic.

The produced bioplastic will not be further extended on the production of bioplastic

drinking straw for commercial use. Hence, the researchers will only produce limited samples for

the testing of its effectiveness.

Conceptual Framework

Dependent Variable
Independent Variable Strength
Bioplastic straw Shelf life
Biodegradability
Definition of terms

The following terms are conceptual and operationally defined in this study.

Sweet potato – is a large root of tropical plant that has orange skin and orange flesh, that is eaten

as a vegetable and that tastes sweet (Merriam Webster Dictionary). In this study, the peels of sweet

potato will be used as a leading material to create a bioplastic straw.

Bioplastic – biodegradable plastic that is made or derived from biological materials (Merriam

Webster Dictionary). In this study, this will be the produced product.

Peels – the skin or rind of a fruit (Merriam Webster Dictionary). In this study, the peels of sweet

potato will be the main ingredient in making bioplastic straw.

Polymer – is a chemical compound with large molecules made of many smaller molecules of the

same kind (Collins English Dictionary). In this study, the existence of polymer will be the basis

whether the material is capable of producing bioplastic.

Amylose – a component of starch characterized by its straight chains of glucose units (Merriam

Webster Dictionary). In this study, the existence of amylose will be the basis whether the material

is capable of producing bioplastic.

Amylopectin – a polysaccharide made up of highly branched polymer of alpha-glucose units and

is major component of starch apart from amylose (Biology Dictionary).In this study, the existence

of amylopectin will be the basis whether the material is capable of producing bioplastic.
Review of Related Literature

Plastics are made most commonly from petroleum and natural gas. The hydrocarbon

starting points are refined into ethane and propane (among other petrochemical products). Both

of these gases are "steam cracked" into ethylene and propylene, a process in which the saturated

hydrocarbon gases are combined with steam at temperatures of 900 degrees Celsius or more

and break down into their lighter, unsaturated monomers—their chemical building blocks

(Staley, 2009).

According to S.C Johnson Company (2019), experts today believe at least 8 million metric

tons of plastic end up in the world’s oceans every year. The World Economic Forum states that’s the

same as dumping the contents of one garbage truck into the ocean every minute. And by 2050, it’s

expected to increase to four garbage trucks per minute.

According to International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology, Natural

polymers such as cellulose, wool, cotton, leather, etc. are known to us from ancient times. Man in

the sequence of development has tried to imitate the nature to make artificial polymers like plastics,

nylon, etc. Chemists with their ability to engineer, to yield desired set of properties like strength,

density, transparency, heat resistance, corrosion resistance, abrasion proof, shatter proof ,ductility,

malleability, electrical conductance, hygienic, etc. has greatly expanded the many roles these

plastics played in the modern industrial economy. These roles may include as packaging material

(due to their cheap but strong, malleable, transparent, corrosion protectant nature), for roofing,

flooring, insulating, or making doors, windows or in pipe fittings as construction and building

material (as are durable and cost effective). Plastics also find use medical and health industry as

plastics.
 Plastics have now become the essential ingredient to enhance the comfort and quality of

our life, due to their versatile qualities of strength, lightness, durability and low production cost.

Plastics materials have become an integral part of contemporary life because of their many

desirable properties including durability and resistance to degradation. These non-degradable

plastics accumulate in the environment at a rate of millions of ton per year causing several

problems. Recently, issues concerning the global environment and solid waste management have

created much interest in the development of biodegradable plastics (Anderson et al., 1990).

Plastics are widely used because of its durability, strength, malleability, low reactivity, and

cost efficiency. However, despite the benefit it gives in the field of manufacturing, researchers

admit that plastics caused a big environmental issue (Azios, 2007). According to Great Britain's

Royal Statistical Society (2018), only nine percent of all the plastics are being recycled every year.

Researchers have conducted many researches for 15 managing plastic waste on earth by finding

eco-friendly alternative to plastics. This ecofriendly alternative is bioplastics, which are disposed

in environment and can easily degrade through the enzymatic actions of microorganisms. The

degradation of biodegradable plastics give rise to carbon dioxide, methane, water, biomass, humic

matter and various other natural substances which can be readily eliminated (Azios, 2007). One of

the best candidate as a bioplastic material is the fruit peels. The increasing amount of food waste

throughout the world is becoming a major problem for waste management plants. The food waste

produced amounts to 1.3 million tons a year.

Plastics, made from non-renewable resources such as petroleum products, are now very

common and are being used almost everywhere as such; in packing materials, in bottles,

cellphones, plastic bags and more. They are being so extensively used because of their durability,

strength, malleability, low reactivity and cost efficiency (Keshav, 2016).

 Worldwide annual plastics production is estimated to surpass 300 million tons by 2015.

Because plastics are used in a wide range of applications, economic and environmental problems

have raised. Increasing amounts of plastic waste emerged as a crisis in many areas of the world

because of shrinking landfill capacity, rising costs and strong legislation. In a long-term study in

the North Atlantic, one seawater sample contained the equivalent of 580,000 pieces of plastic per

square kilometer . Also, plastic incineration generates toxic emissions such as carbon dioxide and

methane. These GHGs (greenhouse gases) contribute to worldwide climate change. The fourth

problem is their “non-degradability or durability”. Plastic is not biodegradable and will persist in

the environment for hundreds of years (Arikan & Oszoy, 2015).

Sweet potato is one of the most widely grown food crops in the world. It is cultivated in

about 111 countries with a total of 110.75 million tons produced in 2013. China alone accounts for

about 71% of the production. The global amount of sweet potato waste in 2011 accounted for about

7% of the entire crop (FAO, 2016).

Biodegradable plastic is new and very interesting because of its actual utilization of

bacteria to form a biopolymer. Bioplastics are a special type of biomaterials, derived from plant

sources or microbial sources, rather than traditional petrochemical. Though bioplastics have been

made from both plants and microbes, we focus on microbial bioplastics. Microbial bioplastics are

polyesters that are produced by a range of microorganisms cultivated under various growth and

nutrient conditions. This polymer accumulates as a storage material such as mobile, amorphous,

lipid granules meant for microbial survival under stressful conditions (Ningthoujam,

2009).Bacterial plastic is usually defined as an exciting new area of research, where naturally

synthesized bacterial polymer as, lipid storage material. PHB is being used as raw materials for

plastic based packaging materials (Madigan et al., 1997).

 According to Department Politeknik Kuching Sarawak, biodegradable plastics are a

new generation of polymers emerging on the world market. Biodegradable plastics have

an expanding range of potential applications and driven by the growing use of plastics

in packaging and the perception that biodegradable plastics are ‘environmentally friendly’,

their use is predicted to increase. However, issues are also emerging regarding the use of

biodegradable plastics and their potential impacts on the environment and effects on established

recycling systems and technologies.