Sustainable circular bioeconomy and agro-recycling: What do we know about banana fibre industry?
Abstract
Background. The recycling of agricultural waste represents one of the practical directions for implementing the principles of circular bioeconomy. The use of biological residues or wastes for creation of environmentally friendly biodegradable materials is the way to achieving sustainable development. The cultivation of popular and nutritionally rich fruit of banana plants is associated with production of a large amount of biomass.
Purpose. This study is aimed to explore the potential of banana fibre under the concept of sustainable circular bioeconomy.
Materials and methods. To achieve the objective, we employ several methods such as an abstract-logical method, graphic method, comparative analysis method, data systematization and generalization. The empirical part of the study was derived from the statistical database from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The theoretical part of the study is based on the investigation the scientific literature from peer-review journals.
Results. The study showed that banana fibers are considered as an ecologically clean material capable of effectively replacing synthetic counterparts. An analysis of scientific papers revealed that presently the demand for utilization of banana by-products (pseudo-stems and banana leaves) for creation new products at the industrial level is growing around the world. We highlighted key botanical features of this plant and showed the banana plant potential for recycling. We found the largest banana and plantains producing countries. Thereafter, we summarized knowledge about the utilization of banana fibre in the textile and the paper industries as well as the biodegradable packaging materials.
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References
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