The bagasse tableware industry originated as a reflection and response to the problem of traditional plastic pollution.With the proliferation of single-use plastic products around the world, microplastic pollution, white waste and other issues becoming increasingly serious, countries have begun to implement plastic limit and ban policies, which has given rise to a huge demand for degradable alternatives.In this context, bagasse, a by-product of the sugar industry, is used as the raw material for environmentally friendly tableware, which realizes the high-value utilization of agricultural waste.
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What is bagasse?
Bagasse is a major by-product of the sugar industry. About 2 to 3 tons of bagasse are produced for every ton of sucrose produced.It is rough and hard, mainly composed of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, of which about 50% of the fiber can be used for paper.Due to its wide source, renewable and easily degradable, bagasse is regarded as an important green resource and is being used to replace wood and plastics to promote sustainable development.
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How are these bagasse tableware made?
- Preparation materials and tools:?Sugarcane pulp, bamboo pulp paper, water proofing agent (composed of AGAR gum, propylene glycol alginate, beeswax, xanthan gum and chitin), pulverizer, pipe mixer, molding machine (including cold mold and hot mold), cutting machine, etc.These are prepared for the subsequent successful completion of each production link.
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- To prepare the original pulp: Put sugarcane pulp paper and bamboo pulp paper as raw materials into the pulping machine. Add clear water at a mass ratio of 7:1 of clear water to raw materials. Let it stand for 15-20 minutes to allow the raw materials to fully soak.Then, the grinding speed of the pulper was adjusted to 200-600r /min, the time was 10-15 minutes, and ozone was injected into the process to kill bacteria.This allows the raw material to be fully crushed while ensuring the hygiene of the slurry.
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- Mixing slurry: The raw slurry is transported from the slurry machine to the mixer through the pipe, adjust the stirring speed to 100-150r /min, put in the water proofing agent, and mix and stir for 5-7 minutes.The waterproofing agent can increase the viscosity of the mixed slurry, and also improve the leakage and high temperature resistance of the finished product.
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- Preliminary extrusion forming: The mixed slurry is conveyed into the cold mold of the forming machine. The filter screen of the cold mold vacuum sucks out the moisture of the mixed slurry, and then the mold is closed for preliminary extrusion forming to obtain the blank.The mesh diameter of the filter mesh is less than 2mm, which can avoid the leakage of fibers in sugarcane pulp and bamboo pulp.
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- Heating molding: The blank is moved to the hot mold of the molding machine with a suction cup. The hot mold heating plate heats the blank, maintains 100℃, and heats for 30-60 seconds, so that the water content of the blank is lower than 5% and enters the next process.
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- Cutting and testing:?The raw material is moved to the edge cutting machine for cutting to get the product, and the product is tested for temperature resistance, folding resistance and load-bearing performance, and packaged after meeting the requirements. Testing is to ensure that the product quality meets the usage standards.
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Product categories and application cases of sugarcane bagasse
Plates and saucers
Plates and saucers are relatively common sugarcane bagasse tableware.They come in different sizes and shapes, such as round, square, oval, and generally have a diameter of 9 inches, 10 inches, etc.It can be used for all kinds of food, whether it is salads, steaks, or Chinese dishes.They can be found in takeaways, restaurants, picnics, parties, etc.
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Dinner bowl
Bagasse bowls are also very practical, common with different capacities, such as 32 ounces, 500ml, 750ml, 1200ml and so on. It can be used to hold rice, soups, desserts, etc. For instance, in some fast food restaurants, it is very suitable to hold hot foods like porridge and noodles. It is both environmentally friendly and can withstand a certain temperature.
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Cup
Bagasse cups can be used to hold drinks, such as coffee, juice, tea, etc.They have certain heat resistance and can meet the needs of daily use. It is suitable for use in cafes, restaurants or family gatherings.
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Knife, fork and spoon set
Biodegradable bagasse knife, fork and spoon sets are excellent alternatives to disposable plastic tableware. These tableware are completely organic, free of coatings, bleach or dyes, and are very safe to use. They are often used in scenarios such as takeout, picnics and parties.
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What are the advantages of bagasse tableware?
1. Low cost
Bagasse is the waste product left after sugar extraction from sugarcane. The traditional methods of disposal are incineration or composting, with a utilization rate of less than 20%.After transforming it into tableware, the output value of bagasse per ton soared from 3,000 yuan to 20,000 yuan, up to 100,000 yuan, significantly improving the economic value of raw materials.
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2. High environmental protection
Bagasse tableware can be completely degraded into carbon dioxide and water in 60-120 days underground, while ordinary plastic takes 200-500 years. For every one ton of bagasse pulp used, the felling of 25 trees for papermaking can be reduced, effectively reducing environmental pollution.
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3. Strong performance
Through blending modification and European hot pressing technology, the breaking resistance of bagasse tableware is increased by 30%, which can be heated by microwave (below 120 ° C) and resistant to 100 ° C high temperature, which is perfect for take-out, dining room, aviation food and other scenes.Its strength and water resistance are not lost in plastic, which solves the problem of soft and easy oil leakage of traditional pulp tableware.
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4. Policy compliance and brand premium
With the implementation of a new round of national plastic ban, traditional plastic tableware has been completely withdrawn.The use of bagasse cutlery can avoid the risk of fines and business closure for illegal use of plastic cutlery.In addition, the takeaway packaging marked with bagasse degradable tableware increased the re-purchase rate by 15%, becoming the environmental protection business card of catering enterprises, helping to improve the brand image and customer praise rate.
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5. Big market demand
With the improvement of global environmental awareness, the market demand for bagasse tableware continues to grow.Its production process reduces the dependence on traditional plastics, effectively uses agricultural waste, and has significant environmental advantages.In the future, with the progress of material science, bagasse tableware is expected to improve its mechanical strength and water resistance through modification technology to meet the market demand of higher standards.
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The prospects and opportunities of bagasse tableware
Environmentally friendly bagasse tableware is in a golden period of development under the background of global "double carbon".Its core driving force comes from three aspects: policy forced substitution of plastic, consumer preferences shift, and continuous technology iteration.Despite the fluctuating price of raw materials and competition with other bio-based materials (such as corn starch and bamboo fiber), bagasse tableware is still one of the most promising biodegradable products with commercial potential due to its mature production process and good functionality.In the future, the market will further evolve to high-performance, low-cost, intelligent and diversified applications, and enterprises with research and development strength and global layout will take the lead.
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The rise of bagasse packaging is the result of policy guidance, technology breakthrough and market demand resonance.It not only solves the problem of agricultural waste disposal, but also constructs a closed-loop ecological chain from "field → factory → table → soil".In the future, with the modification of nano-cellulose, the popularization of intelligent production lines and the mutual recognition of international standards, bagasse packaging is expected to be further expanded to the high-end fields such as electronic product buffer packaging and medical consumables.
Guangdong Shiteng Wisdom Technology Co., Ltd.
