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ABSTRACT
Amassing and generating difficulties, the issue with solid waste only becomes worse with time. This has led to the development of a solution that would reduce, solid waste such as plastics, while increasing the usefulness of agro-wastes without endangering the environment.
The name COPICO came from the three raw materials used to make the paper bag, CO for coco peat, PI for pineapple peel, and CO for corn husk used for utilizing an eco-friendly paper bag. The paper processing was done at Labo Progressive Multi-Purpose Cooperative (LPMPC). These materials were weighed in accordance with and subsequently pulped both chemically and mechanically. Aside from the agricultural materials mentioned previously, 50g of sodium hydroxide and 5g of polyacrylamide was also used as a binder of the pulps. For further durability, the paper was coated with melted propolis before cutting and sewing it to form a paper bag.
The testing of its physical properties such as basis weight, tensile index, tear index, and thickness was determined by the Department of Science and Technology - Forest Products Research and Development Institute (DOST-FPRDI) showed that all paper samples from the varied treatments can be used to produce eco-paper bags. In determining the significant differences in the physical properties, the One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was utilized. Based on the results of the physical property testing, treatment two is the most suitable treatment for paper bag production with a basis weight of 359.780, a thickness of 1.318, a tear index of 30.142, and a tensile index of 6.514.
The level of biodegradability was determined through observations and experimentation using aerobic and anaerobic degradation processes which process includes the subduction of paper fibers under the soil for 2 weeks. After two weeks, all paper samples for every treatment were biodegraded. For the level of acceptability of the developed paper wherein the Weighted Arithmetic Mean was used, the average rate in accordance with the survey that was conducted at the Daet Public Market with the marketgoers and vendors as respondents for usability is 3.8, durability is 3.53, and eco-friendliness is 3.92 generating a rating of Highly Acceptable (HA).
In conclusion, the eco-paper bag created from agricultural wastes including cocopeat, corn husk, and pineapple peel is an efficient substitute for plastics and may significantly reduce pollution, according to the study's findings and results.