Production of Biodegradable Package Material from Tofu Industry Byproduct
Robert Antonius, Listy Laura BS, Putri Setiani, Trisha Artha Sitorus, Hana Luthfiyana, Zaki Yamin idris
Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Brawijaya Universityty
Abstract
Plastic has been widely used as single-use package and carrier material due to its low price, strength, practicality, and versatility. On the other hand, plastic require a very lengthy period to naturally decompose. The enormous number of plastic waste has caused serious threat to our global environment, hence a more environmentally benign substance is of significant importance. In this study, we propose the production of biodegradable material from nata de soya, which is composed from whey waste and coconut water. This environmentally-friendly substance is mainly obtained from tofu industry byproduct, through fermentation process using Acetobacter xylinum bacteria. To obtain desired texture and characteristic, the fermented product is mixed with chitosan, acetic acid, glycerol, and tapioca starch, with various range of concentration. The mixed component then underwent milling and drying process for finalization. As for characteristic of the materials, tested parameters include water resistance, heat resistance, tensile strength, and natural degradability in the environment. Our preliminary result shows the potential of this material to substitute the use of plastic, and is applicable for versatile purposes.
Keywords: bioplastic, waste treatment, sustainability
Topic: WASTE AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT