The bunches of bananas that we buy in stores grow off of a central trunk-like structure, known as the pseudostem. And while that part of the plant is typically discarded during harvesting, it may soon find use in a plastic that biodegrades and is fully recyclable.
According to Australia’s University of New South Wales (UNSW), the growing of bananas is a particularly wasteful form of agriculture, with only 12 percent of the plant actually being used. The pseudostem makes up much of the rest, and while it can be composted or used in the production of textiles, it’s usually just thrown away.
In order to bring new value to that waste, a UNSW team led by Assoc. Prof. Jayashree Arcot and Prof. Martina Stenzel developed an experimental new recycling process.