A team of researchers from Ethiopia, Brunei and collaborating institutions has reported the successful development of a biodegradable packaging film derived from avocado seed starch and cellulose extracted from the enset plant, according to a peer-reviewed study published in Scientific Reports on 20 November 2025.
The study explores whether waste streams from two widely available agricultural resources—avocado seeds discarded during juice and pulp processing, and cellulose fibres from the pseudostem of Ensete ventricosum—can be converted into functional bioplastic films with performance characteristics suited to packaging.
The researchers used a central composite design (CCD) approach to optimise three processing variables: glycerol concentration, starch-to-cellulose ratio, and drying temperature. They reported that the optimal formulation was reached at 49°C, with 0.23 mL/g glycerol and a 77:23 starch-to-cellulose ratio. Under these conditions, the composite film achieved a tensile strength of 10.49 MPa, Young’s modulus of 265.93 MPa, an elongation at break of 8.73%, and a weight loss of 41.37% after two weeks of soil burial.
According to the paper, the addition of cellulose fibres enhanced intermolecular hydrogen bonding, increased crystallinity to around 26%, and improved thermal stability. Analytical techniques including FTIR, SEM, DSC and XRD were used to characterise molecular interactions and film structure, while barrier tests indicated a moisture content of 14.3%, water solubility of 16.8%, and water vapour permeability of 2.76 × 10⁻¹⁰ g/Pa·s·m.
The authors state that incorporating enset cellulose improved the material’s mechanical strength and reduced its water sensitivity compared with non-reinforced starch films. The study notes that increased opacity—resulting from film morphology—could make the material suitable for light-sensitive packaging applications. They also report that the biodegradable characteristics observed during soil burial tests highlight its potential use in short-lifecycle packaging formats.
The research suggests possible applications in food packaging, disposable films, agricultural uses and single-use formats, particularly in contexts where rapid degradation is desirable. The authors present the work as evidence that underutilised agricultural byproducts can yield viable, renewable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics.
