PCIEERD Young Innovators Program (YIP)

CAPSULE PROPOSAL
DETAILS OF THE RESEARCH
Mentor
Position/Designatio
n
Institution Philippine Science High School Southern Mindanao Campus
Address Davao-Bukidnon Rd, Tugbok, Davao City, Davao del Sur
Email address ai.okuyama@smc.pshs.edu.ph Contact number (mobile & landline) 09123456789

Research title Effects of the Use of Unbleached Parchment Paper as an Alternative to Plastic Sachets on the
Shelf Life of Shampoo
Duration of 10 weeks
research
Problem Filipinos use more than 150 million sachets daily. Plastic sachets make many quality products more
Statement affordable for low-income customers, but they are single-use, non-biodegradable, and are difficult
to recycle . They are often found littered on the ground and in bodies of water, polluting the area
(Gamboa, 2021).

Significance
NEEDS The majority of sachets for hair products have three layers. The
two layers are aluminum foil and polyethylene terephthalate
(Marinac, 2022). Both aluminum foil and polyethylene terephthalate
negatively affect the environment. Aluminum foil cannot be used for
compost and is not biodegradable. The production of aluminum foil
also emits a lot of greenhouse gases. Its industry produces 0.45 to
0.5 gigaton of carbon dioxide yearly (Salagubang, 2020).
Polyethylene terephthalate is non-biodegradable. Its production
requires fossil fuels which are non-renewable resources (Hiraga et
al., 2019). Aluminum foil and polyethylene terephthalate do not
degrade naturally. They accumulate and pollute many ecosystems
and areas. Since sachets are difficult to recycle, they pile up in
landfills. Some end up littered in different areas or blocking
waterways (The Guardian, 2014).

With the movement of time, all these situations and problems will
cause a string of negative effects that impact vulnerable people the
most. Vulnerable people include low-income families, people with
disabilities, or people from marginalized communities (Fournier,
2020). They will face the brunt of the effects, so changes that work
against pollution and climate change will benefit them the most.
Ultimately, the alternative appeals to companies and corporations
because they control packaging production.
SOLUTIONS Unbleached parchment paper is biodegradable. It is paper coated
with silicone. Additionally, it does not contain harmful chemicals
(Kukreja, 2021). It is resistant to water and moisture and is non-
absorbent. It can provide a protective surface between the
environment, which prevents the product it contains from expiring
quickly. The parchment paper sachet will use the same form and
system as the plastic sachets. The difference is that using
parchment paper to make sachets allows a convenient and
affordable system to continue without the harmful effects. People
can still purchase small rations of products and dispose of them
without difficulty. However, the alternative is not a complete
solution. It addresses a small part of the problem that is the
sachets’ inability to biodegrade. Keep in mind that parchment
paper contains silicone. Although silicone is less harmful than
plastic, it still uses non-renewable resources in its production
(Jenkins, 2017).

PCIEERD YIP Application Form (revised 2018) 1

 DIFFERENTIATION Parchment paper as an alternative to plastic shampoo sachets is
practical. It is readily available to many countries. Consequently,
transitioning from plastic to parchment paper is less complicated.
There are many new and promising alternatives to plastic. Some
like seaweed packaging has yet to become mainstream because it
needs manual processing, making its use more expensive. Ways
to increase the scale of production have yet to be implemented as
well (Keating, 2019). Other non-plastic alternatives to sachets
include using bar shampoos and purchasing tablets that dissolve in
water to create a solution. These alternatives are sustainable and
eco-friendly, but they have yet to reach many countries. They also
tend to be from small businesses that manually create the product,
increasing cost. Replacing one variable with something affordable
and easily obtained can help hasten the transition.
BENEFITS This project can provide a simple solution to a persisting and
growing problem. Furthermore, simple solutions allow for a
smoother transition period for a large number of people. This
alternative is cost-efficient and practical. It can mitigate the problem
without compromising convenience and comfort.
Objectives
 Affordability. The increase in price should not exceed 30% the current price of plastic sachets.
 Biodegradable. The alternative should be able to degrade naturally in the span of 3 months
without traces of harmful chemicals.
 Sustainability. The alternative is created without the use of non-renewable resources.
 Ability to retain product quality. The alternative should not affect the shelf life and effects of the
product that it contains.

Project Parchment paper is biodegradable and possesses characteristics that qualify it as an alternative for
description/ plastic shampoo sachets. Previous innovations consist of biodegradable and eco-friendly materials.
Abstract They have not become the convention because of complications on accessibility, affordability, and
convenience in transition. Through experimentation and observation of data, the capabilities of
parchment paper as an alternative are tested. Plastic sachets have created an environmental
problem in many countries, especially the Philippines. Our project is highly accessible and doesn’t
require complex processes, possibly encouraging a transition from harmful materials to eco-friendly
ones.
Expected output Provide tangible and measurable outputs of the proposed research in terms of:
a) Publications in school journals and local newspapers
b) Utility Patent is the patent applied
c) Parchment paper sachet is the product developed
d) Schoolmates are the people trained or collaborated with
e) Philippine Science High School Southern Mindanao Campus
f) Scientific policy

Major activities
Activity Timeline
 Make the parchment paper sachets.  2 days
There will be three different kinds of First day, complete the process of making
parchment paper coming from three the sachets.
different brands. Second day, Check for any mistakes
 Place the product inside the sachet.  9 weeks
Seal the sachet and wait for a few
weeks.
 Open the parchment paper sachet and  1 day
observe for any changes in physical record results

PCIEERD YIP Application Form (revised 2018) 2

 appearance and performance I.e. how
it produces bubbles. Compare with
product inside plastic sachet.

BUDGETARY REQUIREMENTS
Expenses Proposed amount (PhP)

Laboratory expenses, equipment rental, testing consumables and printing

expenses (other supplies and materials subject for approval)

 Parchment paper from 3 brands  1000 PHP

 Adhesive  250 PHP
 2 sachet  20 PHP

1270 PHP
TOTAL AMOUNT REQUESTED

* Honoraria to be released upon completion of the research.

Prepared by:

AI OKUYAMA
_________________________________
Signature of Applicant over printed name

PCIEERD YIP Application Form (revised 2018) 3

References:
Fournier, C. (2020, January 27). The People Least Responsible For Global Warming Will
Suffer The Most From Its Consequences. Youmatter.
https://youmatter.world/en/climate-change-consequences-social-inequality/
Gamboa, R. (2021, June 30). Stop those sachets! Philstar.com; Philstar.com.
https://www.philstar.com/business/2021/07/01/2109243/stop-those-sachets
Hiraga, K., Taniguchi, I., Yoshida, S., Kimura, Y., & Oda, K. (2019). Biodegradation of
waste PET. EMBO Reports, 20(11). https://doi.org/10.15252/embr.201949365
Jenkins, K. (2017, July 31). Where does Silicone Rubber come from? Learn with us today.
Silicone Engineering. https://silicone.co.uk/news/where-does-silicone-rubber-come-
from/#:~:text=Silicone%20itself%20is%20made%20up,%2C%20hydrogen%2C%20ox
ygen%20and%20silicon.&text=The%20silicone%2Dmaking%20process%20involves,o
ther%20chemicals%20to%20create%20silicone.
Keating, K. (2019, November 20). How Feasible Is Using Seaweed As
Packaging? Pkgbranding.com; PKG Brand Design.
https://www.pkgbranding.com/blog/how-feasible-is-using-seaweed-as-packaging
Kukreja, R. (2021, June 13). Is Parchment Paper Compostable and Biodegradable? -
Conserve Energy Future. Conserve Energy Future. https://www.conserve-energy-
future.com/is-parchment-paper-compostable-and-biodegradable.php
Marinac, D. (2022). How are Multi Layered Shampoo Pouches Made? Standuppouches.net.
https://www.standuppouches.net/blog/how-are-multi-layered-shampoo-pouches-made
Salagubang, L. (2020, November 26). Is Aluminum Foil Bad For The Environment | 5
Frightening Metrics | Carbon Companion. Carbon Companion.
https://carboncompanion.com/is-aluminum-foil-bad-for-the-enviornment/
The Guardian. (2014, May 22). Sachets help low-income communities but are a waste
nightmare. The Guardian; The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-
business/sachet-packaging-low-income-communities-waste-nightmare

PCIEERD YIP Application Form (revised 2018) 4