Innovative Utilization of Agricultural Waste for Sustainable Bio-Based Materials Development

Intan Nur Aisah (Department of Livestock Agribusiness, Politeknik Pembangunan Pertanian Malang, Malang Regency 65215, East Java, Indonesia)
Puput Rahayu (Banyuwangi District Health Office, Singojuruh Community Health Centre, 68464, East Java)

BIODIVERS - BIOTROP Scientific Magazine
Vol. 5 No. 1 (2026): BIODIVERS Volume 5 No. 1 (2026)

Agricultural waste poses serious environmental challenges while offering untapped opportunities for bio-based innovation. This aim study is to evaluate an integrated process for converting agricultural residues (rice husks, corn cobs, and sugarcane bagasse) into sustainable bio-based composites. We applied pyrolysis (450–500 °C), biocomposite synthesis, and green-chemistry techniques to produce and characterize novel biomass-derived materials. The resulting composites exhibited high thermal stability (≈280 °C) and tensile strength (15–28 MPa), highlighting their potential as alternatives to petroleum-based plastics. This approach also reduced open burning and carbon emissions by about 35%, supporting biodiversity, bioenergy development, and SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production). These findings demonstrate a viable pathway for valorizing agricultural waste in a circular bio-based economy.