Potential Waste Utilization of Banana Stem

as Eco-Friendly Bag

Baynosa, Rejane Hope B.

Barlan, Christy Joy M.
Amolo, Necka Earl D.
Barbarona, Jolina C.
Doble, Edzel L.

In partial fulfillment of the requirement for research capstone

Lantapan Stand Alone Senior High School

Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics

March 2021
 Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Research Objectives
Statement of the Problem
Significance of the Study
Scope and Delimitation

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction
Overview of Eco-Friendly B ag
Wood Fiber to Non-Wood Fiber
Non-Wood Fiber
Banana Pseudo-Stem Fiber
Banana Production
Banana Waste

CHAPTER 3 MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY

Methods used
Materials used
Data Collection and Sampling Procedure
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

The usage of packs made out of plastic are hugely prevalent all around world that causes

an alarm to our environment. This is when environmentally friendly bags appeared.

Environmentally friendly paper bags (eco-friendly bags) are convenient to use as it is reusable

dissimilar with plastic bags that has an adverse effect to our environment as it is not

biodegradable and took many years for it to finally decompose. It is even more conducive as it

can be made by non-wood fibers that need to utilize since it is consider as waste and has no use

after the harvest and can be beneficial to all and that is banana pseudo-stem.

Through the years, the use of plastic bags is overwhelming. It all started on 1950’s when

plastics are produced and now the world is starting to feel its prevalence as only nine percent

(9%) of plastic waste is being recycled and the rest of eighty-one percent (81%) is out on

landfills, dumps and in our environment (United Nations Environment Programme, 2018).

Furthermore, the marine creatures are the one who suffered most as they experiencing

ingestion, choking and entanglement hazards with plastics especially the single-used plastic bags

waste according to the article of Marine Life Watch in the year 2018. Currently, in February

2021, in an article of Inquirer News appeared and stated that the use of single-used plastic bags

was being banned in Quezon City especially the malls, fast-food chains, drug stores and other

establishments as they should lessen the distribution of plastic bags to their customers (Hallare,

2021).
 Hence, eco-friendly bags are being made to divert the usage of this single-used plastic

bags. Furthermore, an side from eco-friendly bags made out of wood fibers, we can make eco-

friendly bags made out of non-wood fibers. This non-wood fiber we talking about is widely

available in the area of Lantapan, Bukidnon. Banana is becoming an important commercial crop

among the Lantapanons aside from the major crops that are grown and these are corn, coffee,

cabbage, potatoes and sugarcane (Wikiwand, 2016). Not to mention these two banana plantations

residing in the town of Lantapan in the province Bukidnon namely Mount Kitanglad Agri-

Ventures Inc. (MKAVI) and the Dole Banana Plantation.

There are only few studies regarding on making banana pseudo-stem as an alternative for

eco-friendly bags to name it, experimental study of Lloyd et al., (2019) entitled Banana Stem

Fiber as an Eco Bag and the investigatory project studied by the school of Iligan City National

High School entitled Production of Eco Bag from Banana Stem Fiber and the researchers got an

idea to explore this to widen this kind of study about the potential waste utilization of banana

pseudo-stem as eco-friendly bag here in Lantapan.

The researcher also got an idea to utilize the waste of trimmed banana trees after harvest

as the banana waste are abundant here in the town of Lantapan and also seeing plastic bags

around the area made the researcher an idea to end the use of plastic bags and also to make good

use of trimmed banana pseudo-stem as an alternative eco-friendly bags.

Research Objectives

1. To be able to know the potential waste utilization of banana pseudo-stem fiber as eco-

friendly bag.

2. To determine the durability, tearing resistance and bursting strength of produced eco-

friendly bag.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to create an eco-friendly bag from banana pseudo-stem and to determine

the following question:

1. What is the potential of waste utilization of banana pseudo-stem in making eco-

friendly bag?

2. How these variables (durability, tearing resistance and bursting strength) will

determine the quality of eco-friendly bag?

Significance of the Study

This investigative study will surely provide a good information and beneficial to:

 The future researchers as they can use this study as their reference or guide for further

investigation.

 The environment and the community as this study will utilize the waste of banana

pseudo-stem in the area that brought harm to the environment and this product will be a

good use to the community especially banana planters since banana plantation produces

huge portion of banana waste and this waste that used to be dumped can be a good

contribute to everyone.
Scope of the study

This study is primarily focused on banana stem fiber as an eco-friendly bag. This study

will be conducted at Balila, Lantapan, Bukidnon. The researchers aim to determine the

durability, tearing resistance and bursting strength of eco-friendly bag made out of banana

pseudo-stem fiber. This study aims to include the following components in order to produce the

finished product:

Basin Triple beam balance

25 ml of Sodium hydroxide Graduated cylinder

2 kilo of banana pseudo-stem Paddle

Blender Containers

Strainer Water

Pot
 CHAPTER 2

RELATED LITERATURE

Introduction

This chapter describes the literature and studies that are relevant to this study on potential

waste utilization of banana pseudo-stem fiber as eco-friendly paper bag. This chapter proceeds

by describing the overview of eco-friendly bag (Section 2.2) and non-wood fiber as a

replacement for using wood fiber (section 2.3 and section 2.3.1)

The fundamental properties of banana fiber are in section 2.4 alongside with section 2.4.1

which consist of its chemical compositions. Lastly, the banana production in the Philippines and

its waste is indicated respectively on section 2.5.

Overview of Eco-Friendly Bag

Eco bags utilize an inventive plan that recycle simple materials and fibers that can be put

all together and redesigned into a tough reusable tote that offers a potential cottage industry for

poor city-dwellers (Pahal, 2013). Additionally, in the study of Pankaj Deka (2016), ecofriendly

bags gave an option in contrast to the usage of single-used plastic packs that bring alarm to the

environment and also accessed business opportunity for team metropolitan poor. Hence, it is the

best way for market professionals to view better understanding of the Filipino green consumers

according to the study of Gregorio (2018).

 Furtshermore, eco-friendly bags are highly in demand especially as the consumers

revealed a great interest on using these eco-friendly bag as it brings good feedback to our

environment as what it showed in the study of Gano-an (2018) about consumer’s preference on

the use of eco-friendly bag.

Wood Fiber to Non-Wood Fiber

Most of paper based production are all made of wood fiber and that includes

environmentally friendly bags made out of paper. According to the literature of EUROSAC &

CEPI Eurokraft, the raw material used in most paper based production is from cellulose fiber

extracted from wood and they have a mechanical strength. Eco-friendly bags made out of paper

can be reusable unlike single-used bags and also can resist endurance test that have been tested

and proven by ITENE Packaging, Transport and Logistics Research Center and it can be use six

times in general (Metafore, 2006). But as today’s condition and as the study of Aripin (2014), it

stated that the usage of wood fiber is risky that there is the need to opt on non-wood fibers

especially to the countries that has low access on woods.

For instance, consumption of paper is overwhelming that it was estimated to about 371

million tons in 2009 (Cielo, 2012). As in the region of Asia, it is estimated around 40% of this

paper consumption and considered as the highest (Bajpai, 2012). Globally, pulp and paper based

production industries are headed by North American (United States, Canada), northern European

(Finland, Sweden) and lastly the East Asian countries especially Japan (Bajpai, 2012) as it is the

lead consumer in the Asian region in terms of paper based products followed by Malaysia and

Singapore according to the study of Katrin (2010).

 Furthermore, due to environmental problems especially deforestation and illegal logging,

as the trees are the source for paper based production, the need for replacement with wood fibers

to non-wood fibers is in demand (Sridach, 2010). In addition to that, high markets also demand

owing to large usage of wood fibers for pulp and paper based production increased the need for

replacement to non-wood fibers (Gonzalez-Garcia et al., 2020 and Jimenez et al., 2002). It is

clear that the use of non-wood fibers for pulp and paper based production is better way solution

to reduce the main concern for environmental concern (deforestation and illegal logging).

Non-Wood Fibers

In today’s generation, every country eagerly finding ways to address the usage of wood

fibers and replace it with non-wood fibers as it brings good effect to our environment than wood

fibers. For an instance, in the study of Aripin (2014) about the potential of non-wood fibers for

pulp and paper based industries, it utilized the non-wood fibers such as Cassava peel, Cocoa pod

husk, Cogon grass and Oil palm leaf.

Banana Pseudo-Stem Fiber

According to the study of Mohapatra et., (2010), banana is a central fruit crop of the

tropical and subtropical regions of the world grown and possibly the world’s oldest crop (Kumar

et al., 2012). Its fiber has better fitness and spin ability and has shinny appearance depending

upon the extraction and spinning process (Rao and Mohanna 2007). As what Mukhopadhay et

al., (2008) study showed that banana fiber absorbs and release moisture easily and it is also a

biodegradable and has no adverse effects on environment and thus can be categorized as eco-

friendly fiber.
 In the study of Subagyo et al., (2018) it showed about preparation, characteristics, and

applications of banana pseudo-stem fiber and it revealed that the major uses of the pseudo-stem

fiber are in making of sanitary products such as baby pampers, textiles and papers such as

banknotes and it also uses for making coffee and tea bags, filter cloths for plaster, disposable

fabrics, and light-density woven fabrics. In that sense, it is clear that the potential of making

banana pseudo-stem as an environmentally friendly bag is quite possible.

Chemical Compositions

The chemical composition of banana fiber according to the study of Mokhopadhay et al.,

(2008) is cellulose (50-60%), hemicellulose (25-30%), pectin (3-5%), lignin (12-18%), water

soluble materials (2-3%), fat and wax (3-5%), and ash (1-1.5%

Banana Production

Banana is the most important fruit crop in the Philippines and available all year-round.

As what stated in the literature of Molina (2008), it ranks first in production (>5.63 million

metric tonnes) and area harvested (415 000 has) (BAS 2005) among other fruit crops which

significant source of foreign exchange and grown largely to small-holder farmers, traded by local

entrepreneurs and consumed locally.

According to the Philippines Statistics Authority(PSA) (2020) Banana Production was

estimated at 2.40 million metric tons for the period of October to December, year last 2020. It

also stated that the Cavendish Variety had the highest production of 1.21 million tons, which

shared 50.4 percent to the total banana production and accordingly, Davao Region is the top

Banana producer with 846.23 thousand metric tons or 35.3 percent share to the total production
this quarter and followed by Northern Mindanao and SOCCSKSARGEN with respective shares

of 21.0 percent and 14.5 percent.

Banana Waste

Moreover, the various use of banana plant produced huge portion that has been dumped

as waste, causing environment hazard and making ecosystem imbalanced. Additionally, banana

pseudo-stem is one of the waste about 4 tons (e.g., leaf, rotten fruit, peel, fruit-bunch-stem,

rhizome, etc.) that are produced (Suagyo et al., 2018). Therefore, an effective economic means of

reducing this environmental problem is by extraction of fiber and production of many essential

food products, food fertilizer, bio-chemicals, papers and as well as paper bags from banana

waste.
 CHAPTER 3

MATERIALS AND METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the materials and methodology of the study. This chapter introduce

the materials and methods used in the process of making eco-friendly paper bags out of banana-

pseudo stem and also discusses the materials used and steps to be conducted.

Methods used

This study is a quantitative that uses experimental method to arrive at a finished product

of eco-friendly bags.

Materials used

Basin Triple beam balance

25 ml of Sodium hydroxide Graduated cylinder

2 kilo of banana pseudo-stem Paddle

Blender Containers

Strainer Water

Pot