DESIGN HEARING (MARCH 3, 2023)

Good morning to our dear panelists, (names…). We are here to present to

you our research proposal entitled “Development of Starch-based Bioplastic from
Sweet Potato (Ipomoea Batatas) Leaves and Vines”. To formally start, let me first
introduce our group, my name is Angelene Nova Mondares, together with my co-
student-researchers, Ms. Jolly-Ann Legnis and Ms. Ethyl Castillo.

Background of the study

So , Plastic pollution is everywhere, it is a global problem that we are facing
nowadays and according to the World Bank our country is the third largest
contributor of plastic wastes worldwide, which generates at least 2.7 million tons of
plastic wastes each year.
Plastics normally takes up to 10-1000 years to decompose in landfills and it is
because conventional plastics are normally petroleum-based which are non-
renewable and non-biodegradable. That is why it causes a great damage on our
environment, which can create unhealthy and harmful place for creatures to live in.
Due to the mentioned global problem, environmentalists and the government
encourage us to practice proper waste disposal or waste segregation, and the 3R’s
principle which is re-use, reduce and recycle. It does lessen plastic pollution but it
doesn’t cure the problem especially in less developed countries.
Researches cited a new possible solution to plastic pollution, and it is
developing biodegradable plastics or bioplastics. These plastics are developed or
derived from biological materials and also called bio-based plastics. It can either be
made by extracting sugar from plants like corn and sugarcane to convert into poly-
lactic acids (PLAs), or it can be made from polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs)
engineered from microorganisms. This approach is eco-friendly, less toxic, also
lessen the use fossil fuels and it decompose faster than oil-based plastics.
Different types of bioplastics may came from vegetable fats and oils, straw,
woodchips, sawdust, recycled food waste, and different types of starch. The reason
why starch are commonly used as a major ingredient in making biplastic because of
it’s tensile properties which are suitable for the production of plastic, it is also one of
the most promising natural polymer because of its inherent biodegradability,
abundance and renewability.
Extracted starch from sweet potato tubers are very well suited to make
bioplastics. That is why us researchers will try to examine the bioplastic potential of
byproducts from harvesting of sweet potatoes such as leaves and young vines, since
these byproducts contains 29.05% of starch.

Statement of the problem

The general objective of this study is to develop bioplastic film from sweet
potato (ipomoea batatas) leaves and vines.
Specifically, the study aims to answer the following:
a) What is the maximum peak load carrying capacity of the bioplastic?
b) What will be the bioplastic’s water solubility rate?
c) What will be the bioplastic’s biodegradability rate?

Hypothesis of the problem

This study will be conducted with the following hypothesis:
Null Hypothesis: Sweet potato (ipomoea batatas) leaves and young vines will not be
an alternative ingredient for bioplastic.
Alternative Hypothesis: Sweet potato (ipomoea batatas) leaves and young vines will
be an alternative ingredient for bioplastic.
Objective of the study
The objective of this study is to introduce the use of sweet potato (ipomoea
batatas) leaves and young vines as an alternative ingredient in bioplastic
production, also to eliminate , if not , lessen the use of oil-based or non-
biodegradable plastics.

Significance of the study

Benefiting in this study are the various sectors as follows:
Department of Environment and Natural Renounces (DENR). The study
can give them information about a new alternative ingredient for bioplastic which is
the sweet potato leaves and young vines. They can also use the said information to
create a law or encourage their people to use bioplastic rather that petroleum and
oil-based plastics enable to reduce plastic pollution.
Community. This study will spread awareness to the community on
recognizing the harmful effects of plastic pollution caused by non-biodegradable or
petroleum and oil-based plastics and to give them idea on the benefits of switching
to bioplastic, which can help alleviate the problem on plastic pollution.
Farmers. This study can help the farmers earn more by selling or making
bioplastic using the leaves and young vines of the sweet potatoes that they
harvested since most of the time the farmers left these residues on the farm or feed
it on the animals. Through this study, they will have an idea on how to dispose the
mentioned residues.
Future researchers. The outcome of this study will provide information which
future researchers can use as a source of information and as a reference material to
determine whether there are gaps in the literature for future studies on relevant
topics.

Scope and delimitation of the study

This study will only focus on the potential of sweet potato (ipomoea batatas)
leaves and young vines as a raw material in making starch-based bioplastic and also
to test it’s water solubility rate, biodegradability rate and maximum peak load
capacity or durability. The main component of these study is the sweet potato leaves
and young vines that will be mixed with other chemical compounds namely; HCl,
NaOH, glycerin and Sodium metabisulphate. The experiment is composed 5 sets
with 5 replications each set.
This study will be conducted at Gaid, Dimasalang, Masbate and it will have a
nominal duration of one semester or 4-5 months of the school year 2022-2023.

Design of the study

The research’s independent variable is the sweet potato (ipomoea batatas)
leaves and vines while the dependent variable is the quality of the plastic.
The materials needed in this study are aluminum petri dish, beaker, blender,
chemical compounds namely, glycerin, hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide and
sodium metabisulphate solution, container and garden soil, Distilled water, Funnel
and filter paper, Measuring tools such as, graduated cylinder, disposable syringe,
ruler, and digital weighing scale, oven, parchment paper, pot, rotary tool (DIY), S-
hook, yarn, fabric, and pieces of rocks (with different weight).