Food packaging from sugarcane and bamboo

Materials Science The push to reduce disposable materials has encouraged the search for alternatives to synthetic, nondegradable polymers. Bagasse is the dry fibrous residue from sugarcane processing that is primarily used as a fuel source because its fibers are short and thus mechanically weak. Liu et al. developed a fiber-hybridization process to combine bagasse with long bamboo fibers to form a tighter intertwined network. Alkyl ketene dimer was added to modify the cellulose fibers to make the blended material more resistant to oil and water. The blend can be shaped into cups and food containers suitable for holding beverages or food for short periods, and the packaging will notably degrade within 60 days of burial in normal soil. Matter 3 , P2066 (2020).