Track: Sustainable Manufacturing

Abstract

As technology advances, climate change comes along with it. The world advances towards an era where everything can be easily manufactured. So, it is essential to know which materials and resources to use and utilize. This study was conducted to know which organic material is stronger as the main component in the production of bioplastics. Such findings benefit the companies that produce or plan to produce eco-friendly bioplastics. The emerging need to use sustainable materials pushed them to divulge in this study. Moreover, this redounds to the benefit of humanity, considering that non-biodegradable materials continue to litter the planet. This paper aimed to promote sustainability and resourcefulness by identifying the better material for manufacturing bioplastics. The literature review presented a detailed discussion on plastics. From how it is caused, up to how it should be reduced and diminished. The researchers prepared samples of corn-based and cassava-based bioplastic, and prepared samples of petroleum-based plastic to serve as the standard in this comparative study. These samples were tested under a series of trials to determine the difference between their tensile strength. The researchers analyzed the results of these trials by using the Independent Samples T-test as a statistical tool to determine the statistical difference between these bioplastics in terms of their tensile properties, with the petroleum-based plastic packages as the standard. From there, the researchers concluded that corn-based bioplastics are up to par with petroleum-based plastics regarding tensile strength. However, it is recommended to try a more relevant test to have more in-depth knowledge of these plastics.