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Plastic bottles are cheap but create long-lasting pollution. While bamboo bottles are strong and reusable, they can be costly to scale. Sugarcane bagasse bottles are biodegradable and low-cost, but may lack durability. We model a hybrid solution can combine the best of both worlds.
Gap in Current Solutions
Bamboo bottles alone = durable, stylish, but relatively expensive.
Sugarcane bagasse bottles = biodegradable, affordable, but weaker. Currently, no widely available packaging option balances strength, sustainability, and scalability.
Raw materials needed i.e;
- Sugarcane waste (bagasse): Can be sourced from the campus itself from the vendors selling sugarcane juice and can also be bought for cheap from vendors outside the campus as they do not have a use for the bagasse and they just dump them along the streets, which will create a better environment on the streets as well as letting the vendors make a quick buck out of materials they don't need.
- Bamboo: Due to it's rapid growth patterns, yield/harvesting cycles and it's ability to provide continuous yield after the first harvest because it regenerates from the root system, we can either set up a small area for cultivating bamboo or get it sourceed from a local farm.
Proposed Solution We propose bamboo–sugarcane hybrid bottles, where:
Sugarcane bagasse pulp forms the outer shell (cheap, moldable, biodegradable).
Bamboo fibers are added for reinforcement (durability, crack resistance).
Food-grade biodegradable lining ensures leak-proof performance.
Beneficiaries
Beverage vendors (college canteens, juice stalls, cafés) who get affordable eco-bottles.
Students & consumers who want green alternatives.
Environment, with reduced plastic waste and use of agricultural by-products.
Local artisans/farmers, through bamboo and sugarcane by-product utilization.
Motivation Both bamboo and sugarcane are abundant in India, often underutilized or discarded. By combining them, we can create a new class of affordable, eco-friendly packaging material.
Technical Details & Pilot Plan
Prototype: Mix bagasse pulp with bamboo fibers → mold into 250–300 ml bottles.
Campus Pilot: Supply a batch of 20–30 bottles to juice stalls and canteens.
Feedback: Collect responses on strength, usability, and pricing.
Iteration: Adjust fiber ratios for optimal performance.
