The utilization of oil palm empty fruit bunches (opefb) for biodegradable's pot raw materials as an alternative container for sustainable nurseries

Abstract

Processing of waste oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) that is environmentally friendly is one of the things that should be considered in order to support the development of the palm oil industry in Indonesia. This study aims to determine the effect of the mass ratio between OPEFB and banana stems as raw materials and the effect of NaOH concentration to produce the best biodegradable pot composition formulation based on its physico-mechanical properties. The mass ratio of OPEFB to banana stems was 100%:0%, 80%:20%, 60%:40%, 40%:60%, and 0%:100%, while the concentrations of NaOH used were 3%, 5%, and 7%. Physico-mechanical tests were carried out on the parameters of mass, moisture content, water uptake, biodegradability, and tensile strength of biodegradable pots. The results showed that the biodegradable pots had a mass range of 9.58-18.48 grams, water content 50.42%-65.89%, water uptake 2.72%-4.82%, potential for biodegradation of 40.54%-76.39%, and tensile strength.8091 Pa-23418 Pa. The combination treatment R2C2 (80% EFB: 20% banana stem; 5% NaOH) is the best treatment formulation because it has a faster biodegradability and can support the durability of biodegradable pots through high tensile strength and resistance to water. However, the density of the biodegradable pot wall requires some improvement due to uneven fiber dispersion.