Abstract:

Banana (Musa) leaves are known to have insulating properties, which may
be used for a wide variety of products (Monohar and Adeyanju, 2016). The study
also further states that banana leaves can be used as cup sleeves to act as cup
insulators to aid in handling drinks that are too hard to hold due to their
temperature.

The study would focus on the usage of Banana (Musa) leaves as an

alternative cup sleeve insulator which can help reduce disposable products that
have a long decomposition duration; Products that are harmful to the
environment.

The investigatory project will undergo an experiment wherein the

usefulness of the Banana (musa) cup sleeves will be tested. The alternative
product’s functionality will be tested using an experiment adopted from the BBC-
bitesize. The experiment will aid in measuring the alternative product’s thermal
insulation. The alternative product will be placed on top of a beaker with a
thermometer, which shall be used to the measure the drop of temperature during
a specific time period.

The data obtained will be plotted using a line graph and the curve of the
temperature drop will be examined; the curve with the shallowest and longest
incline will indicate the better insulator. The mean of the data obtained from the
three trials of the experiment will be used in order to obtain a median value for
each material to properly determine the insulating property statistically.

The alternative product is also to be tested according to the land

decomposition properties in comparison to the commercialized product. The
alternative product is to be placed in a capsule that mimics typical land properties
in which where waste is usually discarded. The alternative product is to be
observed each day ang logged; until the alternative product showcases
decomposition. The results will be compared to (insert source regarding curated
cardboard, the commercialized product, decomposition properties).

In conclusion, the alternative product, in theory, should be able to

withstand heat properly compared to the commercialized product (control) during
the experiment. The alternative product is hypothesized to have no significant
difference compared to the commercialized product in terms of their insulating
properties. Furthermore, the alternative product should be able to have a lesser
decomposition duration compared to the commercialized product