Avocado seed starch bioplastic film reinforced with enset cellulose for sustainable packaging

The increasing environmental concerns associated with conventional petroleum-based plastics have driven the urgent need to develop sustainable, biodegradable alternatives for packaging applications. This research explores the development of an environmentally friendly and strong bioplastic film. It's made from avocado seed starch and strengthened with cellulose fibers obtained from the enset pseudostem, offering a potential solution to the environmental problems linked to traditional plastic materials. A Central Composite Design (CCD) was employed to optimize key processing parameters: drying temperature (30-70 °C), glycerol concentration (0.1-0.4 mL/g), and starch-to-cellulose ratio (60:40-90:10%w). The optimal formulation, achieved at a drying temperature of 49 °C, glycerol concentration of 0.23 mL/g, and a starch-to-cellulose ratio of 77:23%w, resulted in a bioplastic film with a tensile strength of 10.49 MPa, Young's modulus of 265.93 MPa, elongation at break of 8.73%, and 41.37% weight loss after two weeks of soil burial. Structural and physicochemical analyses, including FTIR, SEM, DSC, XRD, and RVA, revealed enhanced intermolecular hydrogen bonding, increased crystallinity (~ 26%), and improved thermal stability, suggesting strong molecular interactions between starch and cellulose. The optimized film exhibited favorable barrier properties, with moisture content of 14.3%, solubility of 16.8%, and water vapor permeability of 2.76 × 10⁻¹⁰ g/Pa·s·m. Furthermore, the films showed increased opacity and compact morphology, making them suitable for light-sensitive packaging applications. The developed composite film is a high-performance, eco-friendly alternative to conventional plastics, particularly in food packaging and other single-use plastic products.