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TARO LEAVES (Colocasia esculenta) AS HYDROPHOBIC BIO-WAX COATING FOR

RECYCLED GROCERY PAPER BAGS

Preprint · December 2019

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.36821.09449

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 TARO LEAVES (Colocasia esculenta) AS HYDROPHOBIC
BIO-WAX COATING FOR RECYCLED GROCERY
PAPER BAGS

Dupiano, Xandrex L., Junio, Curt J., Sereno, Alexis A., Beray, Chryzel J., Boadilla, Jaden G.,
Campos, Cassie V., Deduque, Jana T., Pineda, Patricia L., Posugac, Leizl A., Sanchez, Angela S.
Saint Louis University
Laboratory High School Senior High 12 STEM K

ABSTRACT
A study on solid waste management conducted by Castillo & Otoma (2013) reveals about 35, 580
of garbage is being generated in the Philippines every day with each person contributing about
0.3 kg to 0.5kg. For this reason, the use of paper bags is recommended; however, consumers still
view the use of plastic bags as the most convenient way of storing and packaging miscellaneous
items because it is more durable than paper bags. In order to solve these problems, this research
aimed to produce a hydrophobic bio-wax coating from taro leaves suitable for recycled grocery
paper bags. This study utilized solvent-extraction method to isolate the bio-wax from the taro
leaves and coated it onto the surface of the recycled grocery paper bags. The hydrophobic paper
bag was subjected to various tests such as charring, liquid dropping test and hydrophobicity test
to determine its reliability and viability for industrial uses. The data gathered was statistically
analyzed through Descriptive Statistics. The coated paper bag was observed to exhibit the same
hydrophobic properties to that of the taro leaves and was impenetrable to water and was slightly
and moderately penetrable to HCl and NaOH respectively. Therefore, the use of taro leaves as
hydrophobic bio-wax coating for recycled grocery paper bags would not only reduce the usage of
plastic bags but could also be a great contributing factor to reduce the detrimental effects of
pollution to the environment.

Key words: bio-wax, hydrophobic, taro, paper bags, water, penetrable

27 November 2019

INTRODUCTION Environment in 2015, the Philippines was

ranked as the third-largest source of discarded
Plastic bags have been very plastic that ends up in the ocean, aside from
convenient to consumers since they are more China and Indonesia.
durable than paper bags. They are less
In order to avoid these problems, the
vulnerable to tearing and it can still be reused
use of paper bags is highly encouraged.
multiple times. (Kalita & Talukdar, 2014).
However, a study examined a range of bags
Moreover, plastic bags also last longer than
made from different materials to find out how
paper bags. However, despite of their
many times they need to be reused in order to
usefulness, plastic bags remain to be an
environmental concern due to their have a lower global warming potential than a
detrimental effects in the environment. conventional single-used plastic bag. The
study found paper bags needed to be reused at
According to the Ocean Conservancy and
least three times (Eddington, 2019).
McKinsey Center for Business and
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According to Kalita and Talukdar (2014), According to Alorro, K., et.al (n.d.),
paper bags are not water resistant due to taro starch is 100% effective in terms of
which the uses of paper bags become very resistance in solubility. The reason for its low
limited. In an attempt to find satisfactory solubility is due to the polymer consisting of
organic material which might be able to solve many glucose molecules joined by glycosidic
the above-mentioned problems, researchers bonds. On the other hand, Caufield, D. F. &
were able to study different plants which Gunderson, D. E., (1988) conducted TAPPI
contain hydrophobic water proofing wax test methods that evaluated the mechanical
(bio-wax). One example of such plant which and strength properties of paper, however, the
possesses leaves having such a layer of researchers found out that cyclic humidity can
hydrophobic bio-wax is taro leaves (Kalita & affect the mechanical behavior of paper.
Talukdar, 2018). Thus, the researchers concluded that
mechanical and strength properties of a paper
Taro (Colocasia esculenta) is a plant species cannot be measured. According to Cusola, O.,
from the family Araceae that is typically (2014), the aqueous compound uses natural
abundant in African, Oceanic and South enzymes to modify the properties of paper
Asian countries being widely cultivated with and involves no environmental impact. In
taro corms as food staple. According to addition, from the research of Yadav, J., et al.
Ahmed, et.al., (2013), hydrophobic surfaces (2014), the researchers discovered that the
in biological form can easily be found in leaf higher the amount of wax coated on the paper
surfaces such as the bio-wax extracted from discs increases the hydrophobicity of the
taro leaves which exhibits 1-octacosonol paper that is capable for commercial
common from epicuticular as a major packaging. Therefore, the amount of wax to
component of the bio-wax responsible for its be extracted from taro leaves will be
hydrophobicity properties. Alvarez (2019) increased because this might help the paper
produced a paper out of chitin crab polymer bag to build up its hydrophobicity and so as
and synthesizes taro bio-wax to develop an the capability of the paper bag for packaging.
acid-free hydrophobic paper that is
impenetrable to most solvents with According to the lotus effect, as stated
significant shelf life longevity compared to a in the framework of the study, when water is
photographic paper. The acid-free quality of spilled on a superhydrophobic surface it does
the paper is based on its alkaline properties not make the surface wet, instead it simply
preventing it from deteriorating quickly rolls off. Several researches were also able to
unlike most commercial papers which create their own paper before applying the
promotes shelflife aside from its bio-wax coating; however, the application of
hydrophobicity. Kalita & Talukdar (2014) the wax to readymade and recyclable paper
states that the abundance of taro plant and its bags in the grocery stores has not yet been
high hydrophobic properties can make a elucidated. Consequently, the researchers of
sustainable bio-wax capable as a surface this study will further explore the said gaps.
coating substance for preparing a
biodegradable hydrophobic paper bag that The main purpose of this study was to
would alleviate the use of plastic bags and produce a hydrophobic bio-wax coating that
pollution in the environment. However, it is is suitable for recyclable grocery paper bags.
still not industrialized mainly because there Specifically, it attempted to answer the
are no centralized modes of reproduction. following research objectives: to determine
the physical and chemical properties of the

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hydrophobic paper, and to determine if the it tears and gets wet easily. Thus, the creation
hydrophobicity of the bio-wax extracted from of a hydrophobic paper bag will enable
taro leaves can repel water and other solvents. consumers to decrease their dependence on
Scopes and Limitations plastics by offering similar advantages
through paper. This product will also help
The general intent of this study was to address the growing problem of water
produce a hydrophobic bio-wax coating from pollution due to excessive use of plastics.
taro leaves for paper bags. This study focused According to the Center for Biological
on the resistance of paper bag to water and Diversity, thousands of seabirds and sea
other solvents. The limitation of the study turtles, seals and other marine mammals are
included the quality of paper bags from the killed each year after ingesting plastic or
grocery stores. Since the paper bags are getting entangled in it. Endangered wildlife
ready-made, the researchers cannot identify like Hawaiian monk seals and Pacific
the components present in the paper bag. loggerhead sea turtles are among nearly 700
Conceptual Framework species that eat and get caught in plastic litter.
The researchers were guided with the Researches also proved that packaging food
concept of the Lotus effect. A waterrepellent with plastic bags are dangerous due to the
property exhibited by hydrophobic plants, the presence of chemicals. Hydrophobic paper
Lotus effect causes water droplets to roll off bags can be a suitable alternative for plastics
the leaf rather than being absorbed or sticking since they are biodegradable and recyclable
to it. As stated by Jordan (2016), (Alvarez, 2019).
hydrophobicity on Lotus plants is caused by a METHODOLOGY
rough nanostructure and a non-polar wax
found on the surface of their leaf affecting Research Design
water adhesion. This property can be adapted
to different products, such as waterrepellent The study utilized the experimental
cloth, making these mimic the hydrophobic design. With the use of several test and
properties of the plant (Boreyko, 2019). This methods, the researchers were able to
obliged the researchers to study whether the determine the feasibility of the taro bio-wax
Lotus effect would be prominent when using as a coating for grocery paper bags for
Taro leaf bio-wax as a coating to a recycled industrial uses and purposes. Such tests
grocery paper bag. Thus, if favored results are include liquid dropping and hydrophobicity
proven, a hydrophobic paper, would be a test in order to find out the physical
great material to make a hydrophobic paper properties. Charring was also done to
bag a more efficient container (Jordan, J. determine the chemical property of the paper
2016). bags.

Significance of the Study Test Organism

Paper bags are very in demand The researchers used the taro leaves
especially among consumers. They are very (Colocasia esculenta) since they are abundant
popular in terms of packaging food and other in Benguet, Philippines and they possess
miscellaneous items. However, according to hydrophobic bio-wax, which is a suitable
an article in Stanford Magazine by Claire substance for water repellant. The taro plant
Thompson, paper bags are not always the first was collected from Veterans Compound
choice of consumers as a grocery bag because Camp Allen, Baguio City. The taro leaves
collected were all medium-sized. Sampling
3|Page
 The researchers utilized the simple • Fragmented Taro Leaves
random sampling. The researchers collected
the paper bags from Robinsons .
Supermarket.
Data Collection Procedure
a) Isolation of Wax from Taro Leaves
Samples of taro leaves were washed
meticulously by distilled water to withdraw • Water Bath (Brine Solution)
contaminants that are present on the leaves.
Rinsing was done carefully to avoid
damaging of the wax layers and structures.
The process of Kalita & Talukdar (2018) of
solvent extraction method was followed the
partition of wax from the taro leaf. The
clean, fresh leaves of the said plant was cut
into fragments. The researchers prepared 20 • Weighing of Taro Leaves
mL of chloroform in a beaker and the leaf
fragments were immersed completely in the
chloroform for three minutes and after three
minutes, the chloroform was then
transferred into another beaker. A white
cloudy layer of wax was seen floating on the
chloroform. The solvent was allowed to
evaporate by letting it stand for 10 minutes.
Wax with chloroform isolated from the
leaves of taro plant was coated on the paper • Solvent Extraction
bags. The last step was repeated two times
until the hydrophobicity of the paper was
observed.
• Rinsing of Taro Leaves

4|Page
• Coating of Paper bags • Charring of Paper Bag

d) Distillation of Solvent
The chloroform used in the organic
solvent extraction method was recycled
using simple distillation to prevent its total
• Coated Paper Bags dissipation in the air allowing the reuse of
the chloroform throughout the process.

Data Analysis
Descriptive statistics was used to analyze
the data collected. The use of comparative
analysis was also employed in order to
identify the difference between the untreated
retail paper bag and the prepared hydrophobic
paper bag in terms of their physical and
chemical properties.
b) Determination of Physical Properties of
the Hydrophobic Paper RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

The color, odor, and texture of the Physical Properties of the Hydrophobic
hydrophobic paper was evaluated through Paper Bag
sensory observation. Liquid dropping was Table 1: Comparison of the treated and
also determined by simply dropping liquids untreated paper bags in terms of color, odor,
(e.g. water, NaOH & HCl) to the surface of and texture
the hydrophobic paper to check if the
liquids penetrated the paper bag sample. Properties Treated Untreated
Paper Bags Paper Bags
c) Determination of Chemical Properties of
the Hydrophobic Paper Color Brown with Brown
a touch of
The weight of the paper bags before light green
scorching was considered as the initial
weight, whilst after scorching, the residue Texture Rough Rough
will be the final weight.
Odor Pleasant Pleasant

The bio-wax treated paper bag exhibits

the same characteristics as to that of the
untreated paper bag in terms of color, odor
and texture. The reason for this is the paper

5|Page
bag’s porous surface which allows the bio- Treated 4 4 4 4
wax to integrate itself onto the surface Paper Bag
retaining its texture. The reason for this is the 3
paper bag’s porous surface which allows the
Untreated 1 1 1 1
bio-wax to integrate itself onto the surface Paper Bag
retaining its texture. 3
Table 2: Interpretation and Distribution of Mean (Treated Paper Bag) 4
Values based on 4-point Likert Scale
Mean (Untreated Paper Bag) 1
Interpretation Value
Allocation
The liquid dropping test shows that the
1 Penetrable
three samples of paper bags are not penetrable
2 Moderately to water after three trials. However, the three
Penetrable samples of untreated Paper Bags are
penetrable to water after three trials.
3 Slightly
Penetrable Figure 1. Penetrability of Water on the
Treated Paper Bag
4 Not Penetrable

A Likert scale will be used to interpret

the level of penetrability of different solvents
such as water, Hydrochloric acid, and
Sodium hydroxide to untreated and treated
paper bags.
Table 4: Liquid dropping of Water on the
Treated Paper Bags
Trial Trial Trial Average Table 5: Liquid dropping of Hydrochloric
1 2 3 Acid (HCl) on the Treated Paper Bags
Treated 4 4 4 4 Trial Trial Trial Average
Paper Bag 1 2 3
1
Treated 3 3 3 3
Untreated 1 1 1 1 Paper Bag
Paper Bag 1
2
Untreated 1 1 1 1
Treated 4 4 4 4 Paper Bag
Paper Bag 2
2
Treated 3 3 3 3
Untreated 1 1 1 1 Paper Bag
Paper Bag 2
2

6|Page
 Untreated 1 1 1 1 Table 6: Liquid dropping Sodium Hydroxide
Paper Bag (NaOH) on the Treated Paper Bags
2
Trial Trial Trial Average
Treated 3 3 3 3 1 2 3
Paper Bag
3 Treated 2 2 2 2
Paper Bag
Untreated 1 1 1 1 1
Paper Bag
3 Untreated 1 1 1 1
Paper Bag
Mean (Treated Paper Bag) 3 2

Mean (Untreated Paper Bag) 1 Treated 2 2 2 2

Paper Bag
2
The liquid dropping test shows that three
Untreated 1 1 1 1
samples of paper bags are slightly penetrable Paper Bag
to Hydrochloric acids after three trials. 2
However, all three samples of the untreated
paper bags are penetrable to Hydrochloric Treated 2 2 2 2
Acid. Hydrochloric acid is usually used to Paper Bag
3
process variety of food products, such as corn
syrups used in soft drinks and ketchup. It is Untreated 1 1 1 1
also present in different household items such Paper Bag
as toilet bowl cleaners, bathroom tile cleaners 3
and other porcelain cleaners, due to its Mean (Treated Paper Bag) 2
corrosive properties that help clean tough
stains. Mean (Untreated Paper Bag) 1

Figure 2. Penetrability of Hydrochloric Acid

on the Treated Paper Bag The liquid dropping test shows that three
samples of paper bags are moderately
penetrable to Sodium Hydroxide after three
trials. However, the three samples of
untreated paper bags are all penetrable to the
said solvent. Sodium Hydroxide is also
present in food items such as ice cream and
soft drinks. It also used in the manufacturing
of pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.

7|Page
Figure 3. Penetrability of Sodium Hydroxide The bio-wax treated paper contains more
on the Treated Paper Bag ash content than the untreated paper bag. For
this reason, the treated paper bag has more
shelf life longevity compared to the untreated
paper bag.
To get the ash content of the untreated
and treated paper bag, the following formula
was used (Alvarez, 2019):
𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡
𝐴𝑠ℎ 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡 = 𝑥 100
𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡

Having to know the penetrability of the Let the final weight and the initial weight
hydrophobic paper bags to different solvents be the weight of the paper bag after scorching
will help consumers to carefully store and and the weight before scorching respectively.
package their food and household items every Wax Isolation and Pigment Removal
time they go for grocery shopping.
The bio-wax was extracted using
Table 7: Comparative Table on Duration of chloroform as solvent in the organic solvent
Water Resistance method. The extracted bio-wax was shown to
possess the hydrophobic properties to that of
Object for Test Time (minutes) the Taro leaves even when it is subjected to
Treated Paper Bag 30 temperatures around 95-100 degree Celsius.
The extracted bio-wax exhibits a greenish
Untreated Paper 0 pigment which can be inappropriate for
Bag industrialization. The pigment was removed
through water bathing the leaves in a brine
solution. The bio-wax was not denatured
The hydrophobicity test shows a larger
since it has an intact wax integrity even at 100
margin of time the treated paper bag can resist degrees Celsius.
compared to the untreated paper bags.
CONCLUSIONS
Chemical Properties of the Hydrophobic
Paper Bag The abundance of Taro (Colocasia
esculenta) and the high hydrophobic
Table 8: Ash content of the Treated and properties of its bio-wax can be a sustainable
Untreated Paper Bag source for making a hydrophobic bio-wax
Initial Final Ash coating that is suitable for recycled grocery
Weight Weight Content paper bags. Therefore, alleviating the use of
plastic bags which will not only reduce the
Treated 8.48 g 2.07 g 24.41% adverse effects of pollution but will also help
Paper Bag
in expanding the array of uses a paper bag can
Untreated 11.20 g 1.49g 13.3 % offer.
Paper Bag

8|Page
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