Meet Lucas Tadao: 14-year-old Brazilian student who turned cassava peels into biodegradable trays that could help replace Styrofoam and reduce plastic pollution
Why Lucas turned agricultural waste into biodegradable packaging How the biodegradable trays are made How does the invention compare with Styrofoam? What tests did the
Why Lucas turned agricultural waste into biodegradable packaging How the biodegradable trays are made How does the invention compare with Styrofoam? What tests did the young inventor carry out? Why cassava peels are an ideal material Recognition at science fairs Could agricultural waste help reduce plastic pollution? As concerns over plastic pollution continue to grow, a 14-year-old student in Brazil has developed a sustainable alternative using materials that would otherwise be discarded. Lucas Tadao Sugahara Wernick, a student from Curitiba in the southern state of Paraná, created biodegradable food trays made from cassava peels and araucaria tree residues. Designed as a substitute for conventional Styrofoam trays, the innovation uses agricultural waste and natural starch to produce packaging that decomposes much faster than petroleum-based foam. Developed as a school science project, the invention has attracted attention at Brazilian science fairs for demonstrating how everyday waste can be transformed into an environmentally friendly product with practical applications.Lucas began exploring sustainable packaging after learning about the environmental problems caused by Styrofoam and single-use plastics. Widely used to package fruits, vegetables and meat, Styrofoam is lightweight and inexpensive but can remain in the environment for hundreds of years after disposal.Instead of relying on conventional materials, Lucas looked for agricultural waste that was abundant in Brazil.He chose cassava peels, a by-product of the food industry that is often discarded or used as animal feed, and dry araucaria residues, which naturally fall from Paraná pine trees and are commonly treated as garden waste.
By giving these materials a second life, the project embraces the principles of a circular economy, where waste is transformed into valuable products.The trays are produced using a combination of dried cassava peels, processed araucaria residues, water and cassava starch. After the raw materials are cleaned, dried and ground into smaller particles, they are mixed into a composite material that is heated and pressed into moulds before being dried.One of the most innovative aspects of the project is the use of cassava starch as a natural binding agent. Rather than depending on petroleum-based plastics or chemical additives, the starch helps hold the material together while maintaining its biodegradable properties. The resulting trays are intended for packaging fruits and vegetables in place of traditional Styrofoam containers.The project aims to address one of the biggest environmental drawbacks of Styrofoam: its persistence in nature. Conventional Styrofoam packaging is often cited as taking up to 700 years to decompose under natural conditions, contributing to long-term plastic pollution.According to reports on Lucas's project, the biodegradable trays can break down in about 30 days under suitable conditions. Although decomposition rates vary depending on temperature, moisture and soil conditions, the dramatic reduction in environmental persistence highlights the potential of biodegradable packaging made from renewable resources.Lucas did not stop at producing a biodegradable material.
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