Plastic is a big part of our modern life. Thanks to it, we have conveniences like drinking straws and takeaway food containers.
But our reliance on plastic comes at a cost. Plastic waste is one of the biggest forms of pollution on Earth. It takes years to break down and will persist as microplastics, threatening people and animals’ health.
Furthermore, plastic is made from petroleum, a resource that will inevitably be depleted in the near future.
Fortunately, there are some innovative solutions to this problem. Products made from plant-based materials are now on the market, providing a more sustainable alternative to plastic.
Sugarcane fiber, or bagasse, has especially grown in popularity over the past few years.
What is sugarcane fiber?
Sugarcane fiber (also known as bagasse) is the dry, fibrous remains of a sugarcane stalk after all of its juice is extracted.
Normally treated as agricultural waste, fit only for fuel or livestock feed, bagasse has become an alternative material for making paper, cardboard, and even plastic substitutes.
How are sugarcane fiber products made?
Here are the steps that go into sugarcane fiber extraction and its subsequent conversion into usable products:
- First, harvested sugarcane stalls have all their juice and nutritional components extracted. Only the bagasse fibers remain after the extraction.
- Next, the fibers are finely blended with water. This process creates a pulp with a consistency similar to wood pulp.
- Additives are mixed in with the pulp before being pressed into a specific shape by applying pressure and high temperatures.
- Once cooled and set, the resulting product is removed from its mold and prepared for transport and sale.
How is sugarcane fiber fabric made?
Sugarcane is also a popular source of natural fiber for making fabric or textiles.
The apparel industry primarily utilizes sugarcane bagasse to produce textile rayon fibers such as viscose, modal, and lyocell.
The process of turning bagasse into usable fabric is as follows:
- The sugarcane bagasse is shredded and broken down with eco-friendly chemicals.
- In its liquid form, the bagasse is shot through tiny holes at very high pressure, creating a long strand of fiber that is then cooled, solidified, and spun.
Sugarcane rayon has a glossier appearance with a more silk-like texture than wood pulp rayon. These characteristics make it a popular material for making clothing that is both comfortable to wear and appealing to the eye.
Types of sugarcane fiber products
Sugarcane fiber’s versatility enables it to be used in a wide variety of products. Here are just a few examples of the products that can be crafted from this substance:
Sugarcane fiber plates
Various types of sugarcane fiber plates are available, including standard saucers and special dinnerware trays.
Unlike other materials, sugarcane fiber plates have a naturally high oil resistance, making them suitable for oily or greasy foods without the risk of contamination. They can also be washed and used repeatedly without having to apply additional chemical coatings.
Sugarcane fiber bowls
Sugarcane fiber bowls come in different sizes for holding soups, salads, or sauces. Both heat- and oil-resistant, these bowls can carry hot soups or oily sauces without losing integrity. They even come with lids for easier carrying.
Sugarcane fiber cutlery
Sugarcane fiber can be made into disposable cutlery, including spoons, forks, knives, and sports. These utensils are resistant to water, oil, and high temperatures, making them a suitable choice for pasta, cake, bread, and soup.
Sugarcane fiber straws
Sugarcane straws offer a more environmentally friendly option for those of us who like to drink on the go. Unlike paper straws, sugarcane straws do not become soft when soaked in water and are resistant to high temperatures.
Because they don’t require waterproof coatings, sugarcane straws can be soaked in tea, coffee, soda, and other beverages without dissolving into poisonous chemicals or generating odors that affect the taste of the drink.
Sugarcane fiber cups
Sugarcane cups offer a more reliable and durable option than disposable paper cups. Due to their natural water resistance, sugarcane cups do not require any chemical coatings. Not only will this prevent contamination of your drink, but it also ensures that the cup can properly biodegrade without releasing harmful toxins.
Sugarcane fiber packaging
Different types of packaging can be made from sugarcane fiber. These include:
- Food packaging (e.g., cartons, compartment boxes, etc.)
- Clamshell containers
- Takeaway containers
- Delivery and shipping boxes
- Parcel boxes
- Garment bags
- Meat trays
- Produce trays
These packaging are durable yet lightweight, with excellent heat, oil, and water resistance. This ensures that products and foodstuffs are safely stored without the risk of being damaged or damaging the packaging.
Read more: Sugarcane Fiber Packaging: From Waste Product To Environmentally Friendly Packing
Sugarcane fiber bags
Bagasse paper bags offer a sustainable alternative to plastic bags that’s also tougher than traditional paper bags. They can be used as shopping bags, garbage bags, food bags, and for other applications.
Additionally, the light and thin material quality facilitates rapid decomposition of the bags in a composting environment.
Uses of sugarcane fiber products
Sugarcane fiber products are seeing use in many different industries and applications thanks to their versatility, durability, and other benefits. Here are some practical usages of sugarcane fiber products:
- Shopping: Bagasse paper bags are lightweight yet durable, offering a more eco-friendly choice for holding your groceries.
- Garment bags: Sugarcane fiber garment bags offer the same level of strength, durability, and functionality as polythene covers with the bonus of being environmentally friendly.
- Food waste composting: Not only can you throw food waste into bagasse paper bags, but the bags themselves can be composted together with the waste.
- Food packaging: Sugarcane fiber packaging is resistant to oils, water, and heat. This makes it perfect for storing greasy, wet, or hot food.
- Dining events: Sugarcane fiber plates, straws, utensils, and takeaway containers provide a more sustainable option for dining, parties, or catering events.
- Picnics: Lightweight and oil-resistant sugarcane fiber plates, bags, and cutlery are good choices for carrying foods to picnics and outings.
- Takeaway and food delivery: Sugarcane fiber food containers are non-toxic, heat and oil-resistant, and freezer and microwave-safe. This makes them well-suited for delivering or taking away hot or greasy food.
- Gift products: Sugarcane fiber boxes are a more durable choice for gift products. There is even sugarcane fiber wrapping paper for all your gift-wrapping needs.
- Beverages: Reusable cups and straws made from sugarcane fiber are available for your beverage needs.
Advantages and disadvantages of sugarcane fiber products
The pros of using sugarcane fiber products can not be understated. However, one must be made aware of the limitations as well.
Advantages
The advantages offered by sugarcane fiber products are numerous. Here are some benefits of using these products:
- Renewable: There is no shortage of bagasse, with 100 million tonnes being created annually. Additionally, sugarcane can regrow completely in 8 to 10 months, much faster than most trees, which can take decades to reach a mature size.
- Biodegradable: Unlike plastics, sugarcane fiber products will decompose naturally, ensuring that their base substances are returned to the environment without harm.
- Compostable: Sugarcane fiber products can be sent to commercial composting facilities to be composted into eco-friendly fertilizer. This nutrient-rich bagasse fertilizer contains nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, and calcium.
Read: Biodegradable vs compostable products
- Recyclable: If commercial composting facilities are unavailable, sugarcane fiber packaging is often suitable for recycling alongside cardboard.
- Reduces waste: As sugarcane fiber is an agricultural byproduct, using it for manufacturing packaging ensures it does not go to waste.
- Versatility: Sugarcane fiber can be shaped and molded to suit various practical applications.
- Durable and reusable: Extremely tough in environments without microorganisms.
- High-temperature resistance: Suitable for hot foods and drinks (up to 95°C/200°F). Sugarcane fiber plates and food packaging are also microwave and oven-safe to a degree.
- Freezer-safe: Sugarcane fiber products can withstand cold temperatures, making them safer for freezer storage than paper.
- High insulation properties: Good at keeping drinks hot.
- Lightweight and oil-resistant: These traits make sugarcane fiber plates, cutlery, and packaging excellent choices for carrying or eating greasy foods.
- Reduces wood usage: Sugarcane fiber has been shown to reduce wood usage by more than 52%. This makes it a suitable replacement for paper, cardboard, and plywood.
- Energy efficient: Sugarcane fiber requires less energy to manufacture than plastics or paper, making it more energy efficient to produce.
- Low carbon footprint: Sugarcane fiber products are made from plant-based raw materials, and thus, the carbon emissions are nearly zero. The heating and molding process takes place at temperatures of 160°C at most (compared to 200°C for plastic), and no heavy machines or chemical agents are needed.
- Brand image: Using sugarcane fiber products helps to broadcast your business’s commitment to sustainability. This also creates a closer connection with more environmentally-minded consumers.
- Low-cost: As an abundant agricultural byproduct, sugarcane fibers are cheap to purchase, lending cost-effectiveness to the end products.
Disadvantages
Despite the pros provided by sugarcane fiber, there are also cons consumers and businesses must consider:
- PFAS: Some sugarcane fiber products may contain PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) to lend durability. PFAS is, however, a toxic and non-biodegradable chemical that contaminates the soil and water.
- Limited water resistance: While more water resistant than conventional paper, extended exposure to liquids may compromise the integrity of sugarcane fiber products.
- Moisture sensitivity: In certain environments, sugarcane fiber products can absorb moisture, which might affect their durability.
- Poor shelf life: Sugarcane fiber products may quickly degrade from heat, bacteria, or moisture exposure if improperly kept.
- Production costs: Bagasse-based products may have higher production costs due to specific manufacturing processes and infrastructure requirements.
- Transportation: Bagasse products tend to be bulkier and heavier than plastic or conventional paper. This results in increased transportation costs and potential emissions during logistics.
Where can you purchase sugarcane fiber products?
Sugarcane fiber products, from plates and cutlery to packaging and bags, can be purchased from specialty shops selling other eco-friendly products.
FAQ
Is sugarcane fiber a waste product?
Yes. Sugarcane fiber, or bagasse, is a byproduct of sugarcane extraction. When all the juice is pressed out of a stalk, it leaves behind a dry, pulpy, fibrous material.
Because it is considered agricultural waste, bagasse is extremely abundant, and its use will not affect sugar supply lines.
Is sugarcane fiber sustainable?
Sugarcane fiber is sourced from an abundant and rapidly growing crop, ensuring a renewable supply chain. Its biodegradability ensures it does not persist in the environment and can even revitalize soils.
However, sugarcane farming may also have issues with deforestation, soil depletion, and human rights abuses. Additionally, if the sugarcane is not food-grade, it may contain pesticides, heavy metals, or other harmful chemicals
Is sugarcane fiber recyclable?
Some sugarcane fiber products are recyclable and can be put together with cardboard. However, as with standard paper and cardboard, you must ensure it is clean and residue-free. Otherwise, they might contaminate the recycling stream and be dumped into a landfill.
Is sugarcane fiber biodegradable?
Yes. The natural actions of microorganisms can break down sugarcane fiber. As the fibers will break down into simple sugars, they will not pose a problem for the environment and ecosystems.
Is sugarcane fiber compostable?
Yes. Sugarcane fiber products can be composted at home or in dedicated composting facilities.
How long does it take for sugarcane fiber to decompose?
When composted in a dedicated facility, sugarcane fiber products may take as little as 60 days to break down entirely.
Are sugarcane fiber products eco-friendly?
Yes, sugarcane fiber products are considered eco-friendly as they reduce our dependence on petroleum-based plastics.
Additionally, the materials are sourced from an abundant and rapidly growing crop, and their production has a lower carbon footprint than plastic.
While they are usually biodegradable and compostable, some products may contain chemical additives or be contaminated with pesticides.
As such, you must always check if your product’s material is sourced from food-grade sugarcane and if it contains any synthetic additives.
Is sugarcane fiber better than plastic?
Yes. Compared to petroleum-based plastics, sugarcane fiber or bagasse is a more sustainable alternative. It reduces carbon emissions, promotes resource efficiency, and is biodegradable.
Best of all, sugarcane is a widely grown cash crop that can regrow after harvesting, making bagasse a highly renewable resource.
Are sugarcane fiber products reusable?
Well-designed sugarcane fiber products can be used repeatedly. Most bagasse products are intended to substitute for disposable plastic or paper products, such as straws, dining utensils, bags, and dishes.
Certain brands, however, give their products a good thickness that makes them reusable, provided that they are properly washed and maintained.
What food is suitable for sugarcane fiber products?
Sugarcane fiber products are oil-resistant, hydrophobic, acid-resistant, and alkali-resistant, making them suitable for a wide variety of foodstuffs.
They can be used for roasted meats, vegetables, pasta, potato chips, and fries. They are also suitable for drinks such as juice, soda, cocktails, coffee, and tea.
Is bagasse expensive?
Bagasse products are slightly more expensive than their plastic counterparts, likely due to the more complex machinery and processes involved.
However, bagasse products are a far more cost-effective investment due to their versatility, durability, and biodegradability.
Crucially, the sugarcane industry produces vast amounts of bagasse as a byproduct, making them a highly abundant and renewable resource.
What is the shelf life of bagasse?
While bagasse products have no maximum shelf life, most brands recommend that you store their products in a cool, dry area to achieve a maximum life expectancy of 2+ years.
Additionally, bagasse products should not be exposed to temperatures of 43° Celsius or more.
Can bagasse replace plastic?
Today, bagasse has become one of the best alternatives to plastic due to its biodegradability and renewable sources. As oil reserves will inevitably deplete, bagasse will take over plastic’s role as the chief material for manufacturing packaging and other goods.
Is bagasse flammable?
Bagasse is a flammable substance, lending to its use as a fuel. While some bagasse products have a high heat resistance, it is recommended that you keep them away from an open flame as they may not necessarily be fireproof.
Is bagasse waterproof?
Several bagasse products are designed to have high water resistance to make them suitable for various applications, such as holding beverages. This, however, does not mean that they are waterproof, as submerging bagasse products in water for too long will damage them.
The future of sugarcane fiber products
Sugarcane fiber has already established itself within the food industry, serving as a more environmentally friendly substitute for plastic straws, cutlery, and dinnerware.
However, there are more places where sugarcane fiber can expand into.
Computers, communication devices, building materials, and other commonly used plastics in everyday life, such as credit cards, notebook cases, audio equipment cases, furniture, car bodies, and floor materials. In all of these examples, sugarcane fiber has the potential to substitute for plastic completely.
Regardless, limitations remain, and fire resistance is still a big issue with plant-derived products. Likewise, a general lack of infrastructure for manufacturing, recycling, and composting sugarcane fiber products is another problem that the industry needs to address.
Nonetheless, improvements are being developed, and sugarcane fiber products will only continue to penetrate everyday life in the foreseeable future, providing both consumers and businesses with more opportunities to support sustainable consumption.
