INTRODUCTION

Over the course of history, innovation has continued to evolve in the fields of

research and experimentations to reach great development with continuing efforts to

investigate Philippine plants.

The Sacking Tree, scientifically known as Ficus nota, is a member of the genus

Ficus which has a close relation to the European Fig, the Tropical fig ( Ficus septica), and

the wild Punjabi fig. It is native to the Philippines particularly in Ilocos, and is a wild

plant that grows in tropical and subtropical regions. The Sacking Tree is also known for

its medicinal and topical applications.

The Sacking Tree is an erect, spreading, dioecious perennial tree of

approximately 8-10 m tall. It has oblong to elliptic- obovate leaves, 15-35 cm long and

8-12 cm wide, and a bulky stem. The fruit is round and is similar to a guava fruit. Each

fruit contains numerous seeds. It is composed of starch and its dew is used as a

medicinal drink.

The Sacking Tree is a wild plant that spreads its seeds through agents such as

winds and excretion of birds. Its sap is poisonous though its fruit is sometimes used as

feeds for animals like pigs. Being a member of the fig tree family, its fruit and stems are

rich in starch. This starch can be extracted via submerging the dried part of the plant in

water, mixing it and letting the starch settle at the bottom of the container. Although

the sap is poisonous, there are some delicacies that incorporate the use of its fruit as

ingredient for its bittersweet taste.

Starch is one of the most abundant substances in nature and is a renewable

resource. It is produced from grain or root crops. Starch is mainly used as food but t can

also be converted into many useful products in today’s world. Starch is used to produce

products such as food, paper, textiles, adhesives, beverages, confectionery,

pharmaceuticals, building materials and plastics.

A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic

solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of

high molecular mass and many contain other substances to improve performance and

reduce production costs.

Generally, the study aimed to produce biodegradable plastic bags from Sacking

Tree (Ficus nota) fruit.

Specifically, the study aimed to:

1. determine the effectiveness of Sacking Tree (Ficus nota) fruit as

biodegradable plastic bags in terms of durability and elasticity.

2. determine the amount of starch that will produce the best quality of plastic

bags in terms of durability and elasticity.

3. determine if there is a significant difference between the three(3)

treatments(T1,T2, T3) of Sacking Tree (Ficus nota) fruit as biodegradable

plastic in terms of durability and elasticity.

The findings of this study provided an in-depth understanding of how

biodegradable plastic can be made from Sacking Tree ( Ficus nota) fruit. The study also

determined if the plastic bags that will be made is durable and elastic enough for

practical use. The study proved beneficial for the following:

 To the plastic industry. The study provided them research and experiment-

based information on how Sacking Tree (Ficus nota) fruit can be used to produce

biodegradable plastic bags. These bags produced are more eco-friendly than the

commercial bags produced nowadays.

To the community. The study provided the community a better opportunity to

take care of Mother Nature through the use of the biodegradable plastic that will be

produced in the experiment. Moreover the plastic produced is a better alternative to the

non-biodegradable plastics that are mass circulated in today’s market.

To the environment. This study helped in the mitigation of sources of air

pollution that can damage the environment. Moreover, the study can help motivate

people to use the plastic as an alternative to non-biodegradable plastic to lessen the

growing impact of plastics in the environment.

To the school and school administration. This study proved to be a

significant research under the strand STEM which is the strand offered by the school.

The plastic produced if given the chance to be mass produced, can be implemented by

the school to become a more eco-friendly school. This ignited the hearts of student

researchers to conduct experimental research to produce more useful products.

To other researchers. This study became a source of another research

problem and can be replicated using additional variables, different proportions of

treatments, or a different plant material instead. The findings of the study will also serve

as research literature and basis for future conceptual frameworks for the study.

This study was chosen with the objective of producing biodegradable plastic
bags from Sacking Tree (Ficus nota) fruit and determining its effectiveness. It

determined the amount of starch that will produce the best quality of plastic bags in

terms of durability and elasticity. Moreover, this study determined if there was a

significant difference between the three(3) treatments(T 1,T2, T3) of Sacking Tree (Ficus

nota) fruit as biodegradable plastic in terms of durability and elasticity.

For better understanding of the study, the following terms were defined:

Dew – water in the form of droplets that appears on thin, exposed objects in

the morning or evening due to condensation.

Ficus – any of a genus (Ficus) of chiefly tropical trees, shrubs, and vines of

the mulberry family that includes some (such as F. benjamina) grown

as houseplants.

Genus –a principal taxonomic category that ranks above species and below

family, and is denoted by a capitalized Latin name.

Indigenous – originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native.

Plastic – Generic term used in the case of polymeric material that may contain

other substances to improve performance or reduce costs.

Sacking Tree – an erect, spreading, dioecious perennial tree, growing to a

height of 8-10 meters. Branchlets are hairy.

Sap - the fluid, chiefly water with dissolved sugars and mineral salts, that

circulates in the vascular system of a plant.

Starch - an odorless tasteless white substance occurring widely in plant tissue

and obtained chiefly from cereals and potatoes. It is a polysaccharide

that functions as a carbohydrate store and is an important constituent

of the human diet.

 Topical - relating or applied directly to a part of the body.

In conducting this study the following assumptions were made:

1. The Sacking tree starch will produce biodegradable plastic bags.

2. Biodegradable plastic bags will be produced from the plant material.

3. The Biodegradable plastic bags produced will be a better alternative to

commercial Non-biodegradable plastic bags.

4. The plastics produced showed little to no difference with commercial

biodegradable plastic bags in terms of elasticity and durability.

•Gathering of plant
Material Produce
biodegradable
 Extracting Starch plastic bags

•Creating 3 treatments Improve plastic

of biodegradable Analysis of data through
production
plastic from the starch mean, standard deviation,
variance and ANOVA Prevent pollution
•Subjecting the plastics from non-
produced to testing in biodegradable
terms of durability and plastics
elasticity

Figure 1. Biodegradable Plastic bags from fruits of Sacking tree ( Ficus nota)

The data about the durability and elasticity of the biodegradable plastic bags will

be collected via subjecting it to ___________ tests. After collecting the data from the

tests, it will be analyzed to determine if there is a significant difference between the

three (3) treatments (T1 T2 T3) of sacking Tree (Ficus nota) fruit as biodegradable plastic
bags in terms of durability and elasticity.