Material Properties of Egg Tray Made Out of Paper Waste

and Garden Peels: A Comparative Assessment

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

in Practical Research 2

Senior High School Department

Lazi National Agricultural School

Tigbawan, Lazi, Siquijor

Researchers:

De Borja, Ashley O.

Cutad, Ethyl Dawn

De Guzman, Reign Mart

Tayros, Jay-R

Jumawan, John Roland

Research Adviser:

Pestañas, Analyn B.
Research Plan

Project Title: Material Properties of Egg Tray Made Out of Paper Waste and Garden

Peels: A Comparative Assessment

A. Rationale

The issue of waste generation has become a pressing concern in contemporary

society, posing significant challenges to environmental sustainability. While numerous

initiatives focus on waste reduction and recycling, there remains a substantial number

of discarded materials that end up in landfills, contributing to resource depletion and

environmental degradation. This research project seeks to address this challenge by

exploring the potential of utilizing discarded wastes.

Garden peels (GP) and paper waste (PW) are one of the most commonly disposed

trash in the society. A recent observation at Lazi National Agricultural School (LNAS),

reflected that approximately 1.2 kg of PW can be disposed in one section for a week,

with a minimum of 35 students. In addition, the LNAS canteen revealed that

approximately 2 kg of GP are discarded daily. Instead of simply discarding these major

and readily waste sources, the researchers envision transforming these into something

valuable and useful, which is turning it into alternative egg tray. This innovative

approach not only addresses the issue of waste accumulation but also creates an

alternative product that is resourceful, natural and biodegradable.

According to Amoo Kehinde (2020), garden peels are often destined for the

landfill. These peels contain a fiber that can make trays durable, instead of being cast

aside as trash, it can be transformed into valuable products like egg trays, reducing

waste and creating sustainable alternatives. In addition to that, Schipani Sam (2019)

also emphasized the energy – intensive yet creative benefits of reusing paper. The
authors presented creative methods for repurposing discarded wastes, which resulted

in the creation of environmentally friendly substitutes. In addition to reducing waste,

the authors argued that repurposing discarded wastes shows the transformative power

of sustainability in corporate processes and pushes for a move towards a greener future

where PW and GP are seen as an asset rather than a burden.

The researchers chose to make an alternative egg tray to promote a circular

economy, where biodegradable wastes are repurposed. In addition to that, the use of PW

and GP as an alternative egg tray was driven by the need for a sustainable and

environmentally friendly solution within the poultry industry. While paper pulp trays

are commonly used, it contains chemical additives like chloropropanols and

formaldehyde that can pose risks to both the environment and health. The use of PW and

GP as an alternative egg tray eliminates the need for these harmful chemicals, promoting

a safer and more sustainable approach. Furthermore, the readily available nature of

these materials makes them suitable for both commercial and home use, fostering a

circular economy and reducing reliance on non-renewable resources.

This study focuses on repurposing discarded biodegradable wastes to create an

alternative egg tray, aiming to develop a process that transforms these wastes into a

useful product. By exploring this approach, the study aims to contribute to a more

circular economy and showcase the potential of repurposing waste materials. The goals

are to provide an environmentally, friendly alternative to paper pulp tray and to evaluate

the alternative egg tray made out of GP and PW compared to commercial paper pulp

tray in terms of water absorption (WA), compressive strength (CS), and impact

resistance (IR). This study not only reduces waste but also turns discarded materials

into valuable resources, ultimately supporting a more sustainable and equitable future.
B. Hypothesis

Ho: The material properties of egg tray made out of biodegradable waste with varying

proportion of PW and GP is not significantly different to the paper pulp tray in terms of

WA, CS, and IR.

H1: The material properties of egg tray made out of biodegradable waste with varying

proportion of PW and GP is significantly different to the paper pulp tray in terms of WA,

CS, and IR.

C. Research Questions/ Statement of the Problem

1. What is the quality of the biodegradable waste as egg tray in terms of WA, CS, and IR

for the following treatments:

1.1 T1=200g (PW): 600 g (GP)

1.2 T2= 400 g (PW): 400 g (GP)

1.3 T3= 600 g (PW): 200 g (GP)

2. Is there a significant difference in terms of WA, CS, and IR between the egg tray made

out of PW and GP compared to the commercial paper pulp egg tray?

D. Goals and Expected Outcome

GP and PW are one of the commonly disposed trash in LNAS. This study aims to

reuse this existing problem by creating alternative egg tray using biodegradable waste.

At the end of this study, it is expected to achieve these following objectives:

1. To repurpose the discarded PW and GP in school by turning it into alternative

egg tray.

2. To find out which egg tray composed of GP and PW is more durable than the

commercial paper pulp tray.

 3. To evaluate the alternative egg tray made out of GP and PW compared to

commercial paper pulp tray in terms of standardization test that include water

absorption, impact resistance and compressive strength.

The project is anticipated to produce the following result:

1. Reused as well as repurposed the discarded PW and GP in school.

2. Assess the durability of egg tray made out of biodegradable waste in relation to

commercial wooden frame bulletin cork boards.

3. Derive a composite average from the three standardized tests that include

impact resistance, water absorption, and compressive strength to represent the

overall durability.

E. Research Design

This study will employ an adopted true-experimental design, similar to a

posttest-only control group design, to compare the material properties of different

compositions of the alternative egg tray. Three treatments will be created, each

representing a different combination of paper waste to garden peel ratio {T1= 200 g

(PW) : 600g (GP), T2= 400 g (PW) : 400g (GP), T3= 600 g (PW) : 200 g (GP)}. The

material properties of each group that includes WA, CS, and IR will be measured and

compared to the commercial paper pulp tray. The control group of this study is the

commercial paper pulp tray. The data will be analyzed using ANOVA to determine

significant differences between the groups and identify the best-performing

compositions in terms of material properties. This research will contribute to the

development of environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional products and

promote the use of sustainable materials for everyday objects.

 Independent Variable

Material Properties of Egg Varying Amount of Paper

tray made out of Paper Waste and Garden Peels
Waste and Garden Peels
Dependent Variables
Water Absorption
Compressive Strength
Impact Resistance
Figure 1: The schematic diagram of the variables of the study

F. Data Collection

This study will be conducted at Lazi National Agricultural School. This location

was selected due to its accessibility and availability of the requires resources for the

research. All the supply materials are abundant in this location. The process of making

the alternative egg tray will be divided into 2 phases:

A. Making the Egg Tray

For the preparation of making the alternative egg tray, the materials needed

includes biodegradable waste, weighing scale, blender, a knife, basin, cling wrap, egg

tray molder, and water.

 Cleaning of the Measuring the
Gathering of the amount of the
Materials materials needed
PW and GP

Blending the
Putting the
Boiling of the GP biodegradable mixture into the
waste basin

Applying the Drying the

Adding of the mixture to the molder with the
hydrogen peroxide molder applied mixture

Figure 2. Flow chart showing the process in making the egg tray

First. The researchers will gather all the materials, biodegradable waste and other tools

needed.

Second. The researchers will clean the biodegradable waste, the blender, and the basin.

Third. The researchers will measure the ratio of each treatments.

Fourth. Boil the peels for 20 minutes to get good a good results before placing it into

the blender.

Fifth. The researchers will begin blending the biodegradable waste to get the desired

properties of the ensured product.

Sixth. Add a hydrogen peroxide to the mixture to get a better color result before putting

it to the basin.
 Seventh. Apply the mixture to the molder toe.

B. Testing the Material Properties of the Egg Tray

The material properties that include impact resistance, water absorption and

compressive strength will be measured through the following tests:

Impact Resistance

To measure the impact resistance of the egg tray sample , the researcher

measured the mass of the object ( 3kg) and the drop height (4m) . The initial potential

energy ( PE) of the object just before the impact was calculated , where (m) is mass , (g)

is acceleration due to gravity ( approximately 9.81 m/s ) , and ( h) is the drop height .

The researchers placed the egg tray on a flat surface and used a video camera to record

the impact , measuring the impact duration ( ) . The average impact force (F) was then

calculated using the formula F=PE/ . This approach estimates the average force exerted

on the egg tray during the collision , the number of broken egg cells in tray was counted

and recorded and to get the all average is to calculated the damage ratio.

Note:

[Link] Resistance 2. Average Impact force

PE=MgH F=PE/t

Where: Where:

M-mass of the object PE-impact energy

g- acceleration of gravity t-duration of

H-height that stone fall impact

[Link] Ratio D=damage egg cell/average impact

force
Water Absorption

The water absorption test gives the amount of water a material absorbs under

specific conditions. To determine the water absorption of the egg tray by soaking them

for 10 minutes, then drain them briefly and calculate the water absorption using this

formula:

WA = ( W2 – W1 ) x 100

W1

Note:

W1 = Initial weight of egg tray

W2 = Weight of the egg tray after water absorption.

Compressive Strength

To determine how will they can withstand the weight and pressure of the eggs

they hold. The weight of the object is 600 g and increases every 30 seconds until the egg

tray structure breaks. to know the compressive strength, use this formula:

F= P_
A
Note

F = Compressive strength

P = Maximum applied load by newton

A = Cross-sectional area of the material

G. Data Analysis
 In this study, three repetitions in each treatment will be conducted to ensure

consistency in the results obtained. Twenty-seven alternative egg trays will be made in

all trials.

The collected values will be calculated using compressive strength, impact

resistance, and water absorption process. After that it will analyzed using Analysis of

Variance (ANOVA) to compare which is more durable between alternative egg tray and

the commercial paper pulp tray.

H. Risk and Safety

Maintaining good personal hygiene should be a constant throughout the data

collection process. Good personal cleanliness is the most effective way to avoid the

impact of any infections that may cause. Make sure to put on gloves, and wear an apron

in examining the samples. In this study, specialized equipment is employed to create

compost, and these tools must be handled with utmost care at all times. The researchers

will use a blender to shred the biodegradable waste. This equipment is hazardous and

has a sharp blade. Before the operation, researchers should know this following:

- Check the blender first before using it

- The blender lid must be lock

-The blender blade should be tight

- The electrical socket should not be near the water

- Do not overused the blender

- Use the materials in proper way

During the process, the researchers must be secured protective equipment such

as gloves and apron, and lastly after the operation, the researchers should turn off the

machine and unplug it.

 After blending, the researchers must secure cleanliness of the mixture before

being placed in egg tray molder. Safety procedures should be followed with continuous

oversight from the research supervisors throughout the duration of the project.

I. Bibliography

Amoo, Kehinde. “Transforming Kitchen Scraps into Useful Product.” Sustainable

Magazine, 22 Nov. 2020, [Link]/share-breakfast-with-your-
plants-kitchen-scraps-into-useful-product/?need_sec_link=1&sec_link_scene=im.
Accessed 4 Oct. 2024.

Carden, Art. “Are You “Wasting” Paper?” AIER, 19 May 2021, [Link]/article/are-
you-wasting-paper/. Accessed 28 Sept. 2024

Economics, College of Business and, and Allen Wilson. “Reusing, Recycling, and
Upcycling: A Primer.” College of Business and Economics, 27 Oct. 2023,
[Link]/cobe/blog/2023/10/reusing-recycling-and-upcycling-aprimer/.

Kumar, Harsh, et al. “Fruit and Vegetable Peels: Utilization of High Value Horticultural
Waste in Novel Industrial Applications.” Molecules, vol. 25, no. 12, 18 June 2020, p. 2812,
[Link]

Pajpai, Pratima. “Google Scholar.” [Link], 2024, [Link]/scholar?

as_ylo=2020&q=Turning+Paper+into+Useful+Produ cts&hl=en&as_sdt=0. Accessed 26
July 2024.

Witherspoon, Christopher. “The Paper Recycling Process Explained | Rubicon.”

[Link], 7 Jan. 2022, [Link]/blog/paper-recyclingprocess/.