Vol. 9, Special Issue 12, Part P (2025)

Plastic pollution has emerged as a serious global environmental concern. The excessive use of conventional plastics, particularly in single-use applications, poses a long-term threat due to their non-biodegradable nature. As a solution, research on biopolymer-based packaging materials has gained significant attention. In the present study, cellulose was extracted from pineapple peel waste generated during fruit processing and blended with polylactic acid (PLA) to develop an eco-friendly, sustainable, and biodegradable packaging film. The developed film exhibited satisfactory mechanical properties, low water solubility, and 47% biodegradation within five weeks (based on a soil-burial test). The study demonstrates that agro-waste can be effectively utilized to develop a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics.