Bioplastic synthesis from Water hyacinth: A step towards circular economy

Traditional plastics, derived from non-renewable fossil fuels, pose significant environmental concerns due to their non-biodegradable nature, contributing to plastic pollution and ecological harm. Bioplastics, produced from renewable biomass sources, offer a promising alternative. This study focuses on synthesizing bioplastic using potato starch as the base medium and water hyacinth as filler, exploring its potential to replace conventional plastics. Our research demonstrates the successful fabrication of bioplastic with enhanced tensile strength by 4.94%, reduced water absorption ability by 84.89%, and increased biodegradability. The incorporation of water hyacinth filler significantly improved the material's mechanical properties, while potato starch provided a biodegradable backbone. Notably, the bioplastic exhibited a remarkable increased weight loss by 45.65% under controlled biodegradation conditions, indicating its potential for easy degradation in natural environments. This novel bioplastic material offers a sustainable solution to mitigate plastic pollution, leveraging abundant biomass resources. The findings of this study contribute to the development of eco-friendly bioplastics, paving the way for their application in various industries, including packaging, agriculture, and textiles.