Banana Peel Biofiller Loaded Polyvinyl Alcohol/Gelatin Ecofriendly Films

In view of sustainability goals, there is an increased interest in the evaluation of biodegradable polymers and natural wastes for material development. In this context, biocomposites of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and gelatin incorporated with banana peel powder were fabricated by solution casting method. The influence of varying banana peel loadings (0.50–2.00 % wt. based on the total weight of polymer) on the color, morghology, mechanical, structural, thermal and wettability features of the resultant PVA/gelatin biocomposite films were evaluated. The structural and morphological changes of the biocomposite films were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while the thermal behavior of the films was determined using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). SEM confirmed the increase in uniformity of surface morphology with the addition of banana peel. The tensile strength of the biocomposite films improved with an increase in the banana peel concentration up to 1% wt. The incorporation of banana peel in the biocomposite films consequently increased their hydrophobicity. Thermal stability of the biocomposite films were similar. PVA/gelatin/banana peel biocomposite films may be potential environmentally friendly candidates for food packaging as on-the-go food wrappers that are paving the way for a more sustainable future.