MYCOLab Ai Logo - gold and army green

Extracted Spent Coffee Grounds as a Performance-Enhancing Additive for Poly(Lactic Acid) Biodegradable Nursery Bags in Agriculture

Summary

This research developed eco-friendly nursery bags by combining biodegradable plastic (PLA) with leftover coffee grounds. The coffee grounds, which would otherwise be waste, improve the plastic’s flexibility and help it break down faster in soil. The resulting bags protect plant roots from sunlight while safely degrading in the environment within a few months, offering farmers a sustainable alternative to traditional plastic bags.

Background

Plastic pollution in agriculture necessitates sustainable alternatives. Biodegradable nursery bags made from poly(lactic acid) (PLA) offer promise but suffer from brittleness. Spent coffee grounds (SCGs), a significant byproduct of the coffee industry, present potential as a natural filler to enhance PLA properties.

Objective

To develop and optimize PLA/extracted spent coffee grounds (exSCGs) bio-composites for biodegradable nursery bags by improving processability and performance through oil extraction and particle size reduction of SCGs.

Results

PLA/exSCG10% composite demonstrated optimal melt flow index (8.17 g/10 min) and doubled melt strength compared to neat PLA. Films exhibited excellent UV light barrier properties (1-2% transmittance), enhanced biodegradability in soil with visible cracking, and maintained mechanical integrity for approximately 4 months in field tests. The residual coffee oil acted as a natural plasticizer, reducing glass transition temperature and improving flexibility.

Conclusion

Oil-extracted spent coffee grounds successfully enhanced PLA properties for biodegradable nursery bag applications, providing a sustainable solution that addresses waste valorization while maintaining required performance standards. The PLA/exSCG10% formulation demonstrated optimal balance between processability for large-scale production and rapid environmental degradation, making it suitable for agricultural implementation.
  • Published in:Polymers (Basel),
  • Study Type:Experimental Research,
  • Source: PMID: 40076054, DOI: 10.3390/polym17050561
Scroll to Top