Designing a More Eco-Friendly Amazon Package Using Musa textilis

Overview

O89 Designing a more eco friendly Amazon package using Musa Textilis Joseph Long, Tien Yen In recent years, environmental concerns have driven the search for biodegradable materials to replace conventional e-commerce packaging. Abaca fiber is a renewable natural fiber recognized for its high tensile strength, durability, and sustainability. This project investigates whether abaca fiber can be engineered into a cost-efficient packaging pouch capable of meeting mechanical shipping demands while reducing environmental impact. Two prototype designs: a sturdy commercial-sheet version and a lightweight version fabricated from reprocessed abaca pulp. The sturdy prototype cost approximately $1 per box, while the lightweight version was produced for only a few cents per unit at the small scale of 179 mm × 138 mm (the small-scale prototype is expected to yield results representative of full-scale performance). Evaluation included drop testing from 1.5 meters, suspended payload testing for 24 hours, and tensile (rip) strength trials. Both designs showed little to no visible deformation after impact testing; dimensional variation was minimal relative to the initial millimeter measurements. The sturdy prototype withstood a payload of 150 g and demonstrated tear resistance averaging nearly 20 pounds of force on a spring scale across three demonstrations (18.6 lb, 18.4 lb, 23.4 lb) before tear. The lightweight version supported several hundred grams for twenty-four hours without structural compromise, as dimensional changes were negligible relative to baseline millimeter measurements. Overall, results indicate that abaca fiber packaging can achieve competitive durability at low material cost while remaining fully biodegradable. These findings support the potential of abaca as a sustainable future for e-commerce packaging applications.

Competition history

• CSEF 2026 Environmental Engineering (Track 2) (Junior Division) · Entry J-12-10

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