Terrapot : uocycling waste paper into biodegradable seedling pots as an alternative to plastic pots

Date

5-2026

Adviser

Leandro Angelo Miguel L. Sanchez

Principal

Buela, Mabel S.

Abstract

The proliferation of non-biodegradable materials for seedling pots in agriculture continues to create persistent environmental waste problems that require innovative solutions. This study aimed to analyze the viability of TerraPot, a biodegradable seedling pot made from recycled waste bond paper collected from the University of the Philippines Rural High School (UPRHS), with cassava starch used as a binding agent. Specifically, this study explored the relationship between the amount of paper and starch utilized in manufacturing these pots with respect to structural strength, water resistance, demoldability, and drying time. Paper mass and starch mass served as the primary variables in this experiment, tested across nine formulation ratios combining three paper weights (75 g, 100 g, and 125 g) and three starch weights (30 g, 45 g, and 60 g), with water held constant at one liter across all treatments. Each formulation was replicated three times, producing 27 specimens in total. Mechanical strength and wet strength were evaluated using adapted versions of ASTM D4169 – Handling and Load Resistance Test and ASTM D829 – Wet Tensile Breaking Strength of Paper, respectively. Rather than comparative ranking, these tests were designed to confirm whether surviving pots could withstand the stresses of typical seedling use. Stress was calculated using the normal stress formula, yielding approximately 102 Pa under dry conditions and 204 Pa under wet conditions. Demoldability was assessed using a binary pass/fail scale and analyzed through a Chi-square test of independence. Drying time was recorded in days and examined through direct inspection of trends. Results indicated that all pots which successfully passed the demoldability stage also withstood both the mechanical and wet strength tests without structural failure or deformation, confirming sufficient durability for basic seedling applications. The Chi-square analysis found no statistically significant association between formulation ratio and demoldability outcome (χ2(8, N=27) = 11.0, p = 0.201), suggesting that factors beyond material composition, such as handling technique and moisture level at the time of demolding, were more influential. Drying time showed a clear linear trend, ranging from approximately 10 days for the lightest mixtures to approximately 14 days for the heaviest, with total mass identified as the primary driver of drying duration. Among all formulations tested, 75:45 and 75:60 produced the most consistent results in terms of demoldability and structural integrity, making lighter paper ratios the more practical choice for TerraPot production under the conditions of this study.

Language

English

Location

UP Rural High School

Document Type

Capstone

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