TARO AS A MAIN COMPONENT FOR BIOPLASTIC PRODUCTION: COMPARING

ITS DURABILITY AND BIODEGRADABILITY TO COMMERCIALIZED

BIODEGRADABLE PLASTIC

In Partial Fulfillment

for the Requirements

in Practical Research

Submitted to:

Mrs. Lilian A. Corales

Submitted by:

Estelle Theresa T. Gulay

Shannen Eizel R. Valle

Grade 12 - St. Anthony the Great

2019
 CHAPTER 1

THE BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

1.1 INTRODUCTION

Plastic is material consisting of any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic

compounds that are malleable and so can be molded into solid objects (Wikipedia) It is widely

used in different aspects in our planet.

Plastics have been seen everywhere as they play a vital role in our lives. It is useful,

lightweight, durable, strong and relatively inexpensive. Most of the things people use are made

up of plastics just like the containers of the colognes, chips and crackers we buy, the bottles we

drink from, durable boxes, and even the appliances we use daily are made up of plastics.

However, despite of the good things plastics have caused, it is known to cause negative

effects in our environment. In recent years there have been plastic issues causing downfalls in

many urban countries.

Over 540 billion pounds of oil-based plastic are produced every year and to make these

plastics we use about 7 million barrels of oil per day. A recent research estimates show that

around 2 million plastic bags are used every minute around the world, with less than 3% being

recycled globally. Most of this ends up in landfills, rivers, oceans, and lakes, where it pollutes

the ecosystems for hundreds of years. A 2014 UNEP (United Nations Environment Program)

report estimates about 10 to 20 million tons of plastic finding its way into the world’s oceans

each year.
 Moreover, plastics are a big threat to our environment due to its composition. A single

plastic bag takes 1000 hours to decay completely. Plastics are not biodegradable because the

polymer chains are too tight and large to be broken down. This means that the plastic bags will

stay for a longer period of time and damage our environment. Due to its hardness to be broken

down, most plastics are burnt in order to dispose them. However, this leads to creation of

greenhouse gases that causes global warming and climate change that both produce large

negative effects to humans and the environment.

Nevertheless, even though plastics are considered as a threat to our environment, we

cannot deny the fact that it is needed and plastics has become an essential to production and to

the people. This is the reason why despite the banning of plastics in other countries and the

awareness of its negative outcomes, people still continue to use it and most products are still

made of plastic.

Thus, manufacturers and scientists have created biodegradable plastics that provide the

same convenience to the people and at the same time, are environmental-friendly and are

harmless to the community.

Biodegradable plastics are plastics that can be decomposed by the action of living

organisms, usually microbes, into water, carbon dioxide, and biomass. (Wikipedia) This means

that they take less time to decompose and they can be broken down unlike normal plastics thus

making them environment-friendly and more efficient.

Aside from promoting the use of biodegradable plastics, this study would like to provide

more alternative source of biodegradable plastics apart from the commercialized one. This is to

possibly offer a biodegradable plastic that is more efficient than the present one.
 We have found that biodegradable plastics can be made with starch. Plastics that are

mainly composed of starch are named bioplastics; thus, our study would like to have Taro

(Colocasia esculenta), a starch-rich root crop, as the main component of our bioplastic and to

compare its biodegradability and durability with the commercialized biodegradable plastic.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Aside from producing a bioplastic made from taro, another purpose of this study is to

compare the taro-made bioplastic to a commercialized biodegradable plastic in terms of their

durability and biodegradability

The following are the questions need to be answered through this study

1. What is the difference between the taro-based bioplastic and the commercialized

biodegradable plastic in terms of their durability?

2. What is the difference between the taro-based bioplastic and the commercialized

biodegradable plastic in terms of their biodegradability?

3. Which among the taro-based bioplastic and commercialized biodegradable plastic is

more convenient for our environment?

1.3 HYPOTHESIS

Based on the statement of the problem, the researchers were able to formulate the

following hypothesis:

Null Hypothesis (H0)1: The taro-based bioplastic is more durable than the commercialized

biodegradable plastic
Alternative Hypothesis (Ha)1: The commercialized biodegradable plastic is more durable than

the taro-based bioplastic

Null Hypothesis (H0)2: The taro-based bioplastic is degraded more than the commercialized

biodegradable plastic

Alternative Hypothesis (Ha)2: The commercialized biodegradable plastic degraded more than

the taro-based bioplastic

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Plastics has been playing a vital role in our daily lives. Almost everything we use is made

with plastic. Although plastics are a danger to the environment, it is still an essential material for

most of the things we use and is still needed for convenience. Thus, we would like to widen the

options for bioplastics that are biodegradable and harmless to the planet and at the same time, as

convenient as the commercialized plastics that we use.

In addition, plastics has been a major contributor to the world's present garbage problems.

Thus, this research aims to develop and recommend biodegradable plastics as one big step to

lessen, if not totally eliminate, this global concern.

Aside from this, this study is made to let the students learn more about plastics and its

effect to our environment, taro and its properties, and to perhaps inspire them to use

biodegradable plastics and to possibly make the teachers to encourage their pupils to use

bioplastics that are biodegradable

study aims to offer ideas about bioplastics and to possibly help in the near future for future

inventions and innovations about plastics that are environmental friendly.

For the citizens, this study aims to encourage the citizens to lessen the use of plastic,

especially plastic bags. Furthermore, we would like to expand the knowledge and provide

alternatives for making plastics that are biodegradable and to possibly provide inspiration to use

the environment-friendly plastics

To the government, this study targets to move the people to use biodegradable plastics

and to possibly ban non-biodegradable plastics in our country especially plastics bags in order

protect the nature we live in.

Lastly, this thesis is for the basis of other studies to be made by future researchers if

they are to conduct related experimentation or dissertation or to replicate this study. They could

also make improvements or break the limitations of this study.

1.5 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

This study is only limited to using locally grown Taro (Colocasia Esculenta) as the main

component in making the bioplastic. The other components needed and the taro that will be used

will be natural, meaning there will be no enhancement done in the constituents that will be used.

The commercialized biodegradable plastic will also have no enhancement.

The main focus of this study is to determine whether the taro-based bioplastic or the

commercialized biodegradable plastic would be effective and better in terms of their durability
and biodegradability. The two will be tested so that results can be confirmed. Testing of

biodegradability will only be tested in soil and tensile strength will be measured for its durability.

There will be no other variables to be added and no complex laboratory tests to be made.

This ensures that the components to be used and compared are in its natural and ordinary state,

ensuring the reliability and authenticity of the results.

1.6 RESEARCH PARADIGM

INDEPENDENT VARIABLE DEPENDENT VARIABLE

TARO-BASED

BIOPLASTIC AND
DURABILITY AND
COMMERCIALIZED
BIODEGRADABILITY
BIODEGRADABLE

PLASTIC

Figure 1: Research Paradigm

The Figure 1 shows the independent and dependent variable. The independent variable

corresponds to the taro-based bioplastic and commercialized biodegradable plastic. On the other

hand, the dependent variable is its durability and biodegradability

1.7 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

The taro-based bioplastic and commercialized biodegradable plastic is the predictor or

presumed cause in the study since it changes the durability and biodegradability based on its

component. On the other hand, the measure of the durability and degree of biodegradability is
the outcome variable or the presumed effect since it is dependent on the amount and component

of the taro-based bioplastic and commercialized biodegradable plastic.

1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS

The following words are the key or important terms considered by the researchers and

have been used operationally

1. BIODEGRADABLE. A substance capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other

enzymes

2. BIODEGRADABILITY. Capacity of a material to decompose over time through the

actions of enzymes from microorganisms

3. BIOPLASTIC. Classification of plastic made substantially from renewable plant

materials such: as cellulose and starch.

4. COMMERCIALIZED. Designed principally for financial gain

5. DEGRADE. To break down or deteriorate chemically

6. DURABILITY. Ability to withstand wear, pressure, or damage.

7. GLYCEROL. A simple polyol compound. It is a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid that

is sweet-tasting and non-toxic.

8. POLYMER. Large molecule, or macromolecule, composed of many repeated subunits.

9. STARCH. Carbohydrate consisting of a large number of glucose units joined by

glycosidic bonds.

10. TARO. Colocasia esculenta,, a tropical plant grown primarily for its edible corms. It is a

root vegetable most commonly known as taro, or gabi in Philippines.