The Simple Degradation Test for Nata de coco-based Film as Alternative Biodegradable Plastic Materials

Abstract

Plastic trash in Indonesia has reached 64 million tons per year. Consequently, a solution is required to decrease synthetic plastic waste. A film based on nata de coco has been made as an alternative to biodegradable plastic material using materials consisting of nata de coco, chitosan, and 1% acetic acid. The nata de coco based film was made by varying the composition of chitosan. The variations of chitosan used were 0.1 gram, 0.2 gram, 0.3 gram, and 0.4 gram. The biodegradation test used the soil burial test method by immersing the sample in the soil and the mixed microbial batch method using effective microorganisms 4/EM4 with an estimated time of 15 days. The results of the soil burial test method showed a variation of 0.1 experienced a weight loss of 100%. Meanwhile, variations of 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 experienced a weight loss of 60-75%. Meanwhile, the results of the mixed microbial batch method showed that the nata de coco-based film underwent biodegradation as indicated by the tearing of the surface of the nata de coco-based film. From these results, nata de coco-based films can be said to be biodegradable plastics.

Physicomechanical Properties of Edible Film-based Nata de Coco, Acetic Acid, and Chitosan

“…Old coconut water as a raw material for this process is stored covered for 4 days, then boiled and other ingredients such as acetic acid, urea, sugar and Acetobacter xylinum seeds are added. Rahmayanti et al [8] stated that after more than seven days of incubation, coconut water forms a gel on its surface due to the activity of Acetobacter xylinum bacteria with nutrients (coconut water or crystallized sugar). This gel then becomes Nata.…”

“…Our previous research made bioplastic from a mixture of nata de coco and chitosan. We claim that this material is an edible material [8]. A study of the physic and mechanical (physicomechanical) properties related to edible films made from nata de coco and chitosan has never been carried out.…”