7. BioFabricating Materials

Research

In recent decades, the global production and consumption of plastic bags have grown exponentially, driven by their low cost, light weight, and convenience for shopping and packaging. Thousands of plastic manufacturing plants worldwide produce tons of these single-use bags every day. Despite their widespread use, the environmental and health hazards associated with plastic bags are often overlooked or under-discussed in serious public and policy dialogues (Ncube et al., 2021). After a short service life, most disposable plastic bags are discarded, ending up in landfills, incinerators, or the natural environment. Even when managed properly, their lightweight nature allows them to be blown away easily by wind or storms, polluting terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems (Kassaye et al., 2023). Because conventional plastic bags are non-biodegradable, they persist in the environment for hundreds of years, breaking down into microplastics that infiltrate soil, air, and water systems (Geyer et al., 2017).
Although recycling plastic bags appears to be a sustainable solution, it remains highly inefficient and economically unviable due to contamination, sorting difficulties, and low market value. Studies indicate that less than 1% of plastic bags are effectively recycled worldwide (Stevens, 2007; UNEP, 2023). As a result, most are incinerated or sent back to landfills, releasing toxic emissions and greenhouse gases. In Ethiopia, plastic materials are extensively used for packaging most consumable products. These materials contribute significantly to environmental degradation through persistent plastic waste accumulation.
In this week I want to develop and promote eco-friendly bioplastic materials as sustainable alternatives to conventional plastic bags. It investigates the main causes of continued plastic use, assesses public awareness and perceptions regarding its environmental impacts, and explores biofabricated materials derived from renewable sources such as bacterial cellulose, algae, and other biopolymers for application. By transitioning toward biodegradable and locally sourced biomaterials, the week work aligns with global sustainability goals and the principles of circular design, seeking to mitigate land, air, and water pollution caused by the plastic packaging.

References & Inspiration

• Geyer, R., Jambeck, J. R., & Law, K. L. (2017). Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made. Science Advances, 3(7), e1700782.
• Kassaye, M., Mekonnen, A., & Wolde, T. (2023). Assessment of plastic waste management and environmental impacts in urban Ethiopia. Environmental Challenges, 12, 100762.
• Ncube, L. K., Ude, A. U., Ogunmuyiwa, E. N., Zulkifli, R., & Beas, I. N. (2021). An overview of plastic waste management and sustainable biopolymers: A circular economy perspective. Environmental and Sustainability Indicators, 10, 100117.
• Stevens, E. S. (2007). Green Plastics: An Introduction to the New Science of Biodegradable Plastics. Princeton University Press.
• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). (2023). Turning off the Tap: How the world can end plastic pollution and create a circular economy. Nairobi: UNEP.

Tools

Process and workflow

1. Collecting Banana pseudo stem and cut in to pieces

1. The piece cooked for 20 min

1. Wash the cooked banana pseudo stem with water, then after drying and powdered them

2. Then mix together 7 TBSP water with 1TBSP powder, 1TSP glycerin and 1TSP vinegar

3. When it looks jelly and transparent I put it out and spread it on aluminum sheet

4. When it becomes dry take the final bioplastic materials

Ingredients & Recipes

Documenting and comparing experiments

TEST RESULT BIO-PLASTIC

I want to test the elongation by using tensile strength tester and tear strength test by using mechanical tear strength tester.
Tensile strength test machine load is 5000N so it is unable to test the biomaterials and plastic because its load is high and the samples are weak to test on this machine.
So I tested the tear strength as shown In a tear strength test, different load weights (A, B, C, and D) are available for testing materials, depending on how strong the sample is.
• A = 800 N (for light materials)
• B = 1600 N
• C = 3200 N
• D = 6400 N (for very strong materials)
These values represent the maximum force capacity of the testing machine’s pendulum or weight setting used to measure tear resistance the ability of a material to resist tearing once a small cut (initial tear) is made.
In the test:
• I prepared three samples:
• Two types of plastic materials
• One biomaterial banana
• I used weight B (1600 N) for all three samples.
• An initial tear (a small slit or cut) was made in each sample before testing this is standard procedure to start the tear.
Test Results:

• The plastic samples performed better, showing tear strengths around 15 N with 99% range reliability, meaning consistent and strong results.
• The biomaterial had a lower tear strength (11.64 N) and 70% range, which means it’s weaker and less consistent, but still shows reasonable performance.
• Since all were tested under the same load (B = 1600 N), the comparison is fair showing that while biomaterial is not as strong as plastic, it can still be considered a viable eco-friendly alternative with acceptable tear strength.

Based on the sample I tested, the banana fiber demonstrated sufficient strength for the intended purpose. As with any material, there are both advantages and disadvantages. The results indicate that the strength of banana fiber is reduced by about 20%, which is relatively comparable to that of plastic. However, using eco-bags made from banana fiber offers significant environmental benefits. After use, these bags can even be repurposed as fertilizer, highlighting their biodegradability. It is also important to note that the results were obtained without applying any finishing processes.