Parle Products Pvt. Ltd.: Project PAANI – Biodegradable Plastics from Cassava Waste

Project Name

PROJECT PAANI – Affordable, High-Performance Biodegradable Plastics from Cassava Waste

Professor In Charge (PIC): Dr. Rohit Srivastava, FNASc, FNAE, FAMS, FRSB, FRSC
Vigyan Shri 2024 in Technology and Innovation
Dr. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize 2021 in Medical Sciences
Himanshu Patel Chair Professor
Professor in Charge, Medicine & Technology Research and Innovation Centre (METRIC)
Room 505, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering

Corporate Partner

Parle Products Private Limited

Vision

To help build a plastic-free, sustainable future by converting farm waste into scalable, water-soluble alternatives to conventional plastics.

Mission

To create affordable, high-performance biodegradable plastics from cassava waste—addressing the twin crises of plastic pollution and underutilized agricultural byproducts.

Representative Image Source: iStock

Challenges Addressed

  • India’s annual generation of 3.4 million tonnes of plastic waste (a large share ends up in landfills and oceans).
  • Conventional biodegradable plastics are costly and require energy-intensive industrial composting.
  • Abundant cassava agricultural waste is largely discarded without value addition.

 

Objectives

  • Develop cassava-based biodegradable plastics with varying, targeted water solubility.
  • Ensure product safety through oral toxicity testing and ISO compliance (ISO 17556, ISO 17088).
  • Establish scalable and cost-effective manufacturing processes.
  • Promote adoption across sectors such as food packaging, agriculture, and healthcare.
  • Generate economic value from agro-waste, especially for farming communities.

 

Representative Image Source: Google Gemini

 

Proposed Impact

  • Environmental: Eliminates the need for industrial composting; plastics break down completely into CO2 and water, reducing microplastic contamination and improving soil health.
  • Economic: Monetises cassava waste, creating new income streams for farmers and supporting green, circular manufacturing initiatives.
  • Social: Makes sustainable materials more accessible and affordable, and encourages regulatory acceptance of bio-based plastic alternatives.
  • Technological: Pilot testing is complete, and the technology is ready for commercial scale-up for applications across packaging, agriculture, and healthcare.

 

At a Glance

  • 4 plastic variants developed with targeted solubility (e.g., Lukewarm-water soluble, Boiling-water soluble, Solid-support biodegradable).
  • Innovations combine cassava starch, Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA), and Polylactic Acid (PLA) to enhance strength, barrier properties, and biodegradability.
  • No industrial composting required—plastics naturally break down into CO2  and water.
  • ISO-compliant biodegradability testing is underway.
  • Repurposes cassava waste into income-generating material.
  • Targets food packaging, agriculture, and healthcare sectors.

 

Why It Matters

Transforming cassava waste into safe, cost-effective bioplastics tackles plastic pollution while creating economic value for farmers—offering a scalable, circular solution for a plastic-free future.

We invite corporates to partner with IIT Bombay to scale such research into real-world impact through meaningful CSR collaborations. Write to us at corporateconnect@iitbacr.com to explore opportunities.