ABSTRACT

Bio-plastics are form of plastics derived from plant sources, these polymers are naturally

degraded by the action of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and algae. Biodegradability

can contribute to alleviating the waste problem of our current society. Biodegradable products

can both produce the amount of waste produced and increase material recycling and landfill

diversion. Plastics are one of the most common materials in countless products including

appliances, containers, bottles, CD’s, cups, food containers, table wares, plastic straws and more.

Plastics have numerous properties that make them superior to other materials in many

applications. The researcher addresses this problem by creating a bio-plastic from chitin of the

mussel shells that will help in prolonging the shelf life of banana fruit. Herein, chitin based

plastics were successfully fabricated by changing the shape aggregation state structure of chitin

hydrogels through drying under a negative pressure, which led to a plastic deformation. The

researcher also considers the problem caused by plastics since it takes hundreds of years to

decay. Mussel shells that considered as a waste product that could add to environmental problem

was discovered to contain mineral content of 51.62% and chitin composition of 21. 32 %.

( Extraction and Characterization of chitin and chitosan from mussel shell, 2013). The purpose

of this study is to lessen the environmental impact brought about by excessive used of plastics

and to create something useful from the waste material of mussel that could improve the shelf-

life quality of fruits specifically the bananas. Based on the result of the experiment, the bio-

plastic made out of chitin was successfully tested in terms of the following properties: water

resistivity, heat resistivity and chemical resistivity.