Production and composting of waste-filled biofilms as a sustainability educational experience for a secondary school setting
Abstract
Waste upcycling is often seen as a scattered concept, difficult to be put into practice in an educational yet scientific context. The idea is to provide an educational experience able to supply the students a wider perspective over how waste can be brought back into the productive system, until at all possible not. Outsourcing and characterization of waste, production of biofilms, home composting experiments. The experimentation gives a practical view of what is meant by circular economy moreover suggesting ideas about possible options for selecting waste and starting characterising it. In particular, it offers indications about the scientific method for testing materials including waste and being aware of their end-of-life, which all have influence on sustainability of the process. Ideally, depending on the time allotted for experiments, the work can be repeated iteratively to improve the results. Also, a database about possible local waste for DIY production of bioplastics can be generated over time, including considerations about ease of outsourcing, availability, seasonality, etc.
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Azmin, S. N. H. M., & Nor, M. S. M. (2020). Development and characterization of food packaging bioplastic film from cocoa pod husk cellulose incorporated with sugarcane bagasse fibre. Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, 5(4), 248–255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobab.2020.10.003
Bomfim, A. S. C. D., De Oliveira, D. M., Walling, E., Babin, A., Hersant, G., Vaneeckhaute, C., … Rodrigue, D. (2022). Spent coffee grounds characterization and reuse in composting and soil amendment. Waste, 1(1), 2–20. https://doi.org/10.3390/waste1010002
Colajanni, S., Campisi, T., Senatore, A., & Bellomo, M. (2023). Development of new bio-based materials derived from Sicilian agri-food industry waste. In Urban and Transit Planning: City Planning: Urbanization and Circular Development (pp. 187–200). Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-20995-6_17
Fathurohman, M., Al Ghozali, M. I., & Purwati, R. (2022). The effectiveness of experimental methods on student learning outcomes in science subject in elementary school. ICOBBA_2021, 388–390. https://doi.org/10.51773/icobba.v1i2.107
García-García, D., Carbonell, A., Samper, M. D., García-Sanoguera, D., & Balart, R. (2015). Green composites based on polypropylene matrix and hydrophobized spent coffee ground (SCG) powder. Composites Part B: Engineering, 78, 256–265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2015.03.080
Ghisellini, P., Cialani, C., & Ulgiati, S. (2016). A review on circular economy: The expected transition to a balanced interplay of environmental and economic systems. Journal of Cleaner Production, 114, 11–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.09.007
Giupponi, L., Leoni, V., Carrer, M., Ceciliani, G., Sala, S., Panseri, S., … Giorgi, A. (2020). Overview on Italian hemp production chain, related productive and commercial activities and legislative framework. Italian Journal of Agronomy, 15(3), 1552. https://doi.org/10.4081/ija.2020.1552
Jabłonowska, M., Ciganović, P., Jablan, J., Marguí, E., Tomczyk, M., & Končić, M. Z. (2021). Silybum marianum glycerol extraction for the preparation of high-value anti-ageing extracts. Industrial Crops and Products, 168, 113613. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2021.113613
Kamble, Z., & Behera, B. K. (2021). Sustainable hybrid composites reinforced with textile waste for construction and building applications. Construction and Building Materials, 284, 122800. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2021.122800
Muñoz-Gimena, P. F., Oliver-Cuenca, V., Peponi, L., & López, D. (2023). A review on reinforcements and additives in starch-based composites for food packaging. Polymers, 15(13), 2972. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15132972
Odo, E. O., Ikwuegbu, J. A., Obeagu, E. I., Chibueze, S. A., & Ochiaka, R. E. (2023). Analysis of the antibacterial effects of turmeric on particular bacteria. Medicine, 102(48), e36492. http://doi.org/10.1097/MD.000000000003649
Rognoli, V., Bianchini, M., Maffei, S., & Karana, E. (2015). DIY materials. Materials & Design, 86, 692–702. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2015.07.020
Rognoli, V., Garcia, C. A., & Pollini, B. (2020). DIY recipes: Ingredients, processes & materials qualities. In Material Designers: Boosting talent towards circular economies (pp. 27–33). Elisava Barcelona School of Design and Engineering.
Romero‐Hernández, O., & Romero, S. (2018). Maximizing the value of waste: From waste management to the circular economy. Thunderbird International Business Review, 60(5), 757–764. https://doi.org/10.1002/tie.21968
Sadaf, S. A., Hassan, S. K., Ahmad, Z., & Butt, M. N. (2024). Extraction and application of turmeric dye on silk fabric. Journal of Innovation in Science, 10, 1–6. https://dx.doi.org/10.17582/journal.jis/2024/10.1.1.6
Santulli, C., Lucibello, S. (2018). Experience of material tinkering from waste in the Year 3–Year 5 primary school age range as an introduction to design and sustainability. Journal of Education and Practice, 9(18), 115–126.
Santulli, C., Pallottini, T., Gentili, G., & Ortenzi, C. (2020). An experience on environmental education based on respect-reduce-reuse-recycle in a village primary school in the Marche region, in Italy. Journal of Education and Practice, 11(15). https://doi.org/10.7176/JEP/11-15-04
Santulli, C., Zerani, M., Petronella, A., Pelagatti, M., & Marcucci, M. (2017). Integration of agro-waste in fibrous form in DIY composites for prospective design applications. Current Journal of Applied Science and Technology, 24(5), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.9734/CJAST/2017/37280
Solano, G., Rojas-Gätjens, D., Rojas-Jimenez, K., Chavarría, M., & Romero, R. M. (2022). Biodegradation of plastics at home composting conditions. Environmental Challenges, 7, 100500. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envc.2022.100500
Swain, M. R., Singh, A., Sharma, A. K., & Tuli, D. K. (2019). Bioethanol production from rice-and wheat straw: An overview. In R. C. Ray & S. Ramachandran (Eds.), Bioethanol production from food crops (pp. 213–231). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-813766-6.00011-4
Vigneshwaran, S., Uthayakumar, M., & Arumugaprabu, V. (2019). Development and sustainability of industrial waste-based red mud hybrid composites. Journal of Cleaner Production, 230, 862–868. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.05.131
Authors
Vicentini, G., Mattiello, S., & Santulli, C. (2025). Production and composting of waste-filled biofilms as a sustainability educational experience for a secondary school setting. Journal of Environment and Sustainability Education, 3(3), 360–368. https://doi.org/10.62672/joease.v3i3.112
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