Jarosite is an inorganic byproduct waste produced during the purification and refining of zinc in the industry. Recycling such waste as a filler in biocomposites could be a sustainable solution to manage it. To create jute-jarosite-soy biocomposites, varying weight percentages of jarosite are combined with soy resin and applied to woven jute cloth. The impact of jarosite on the mechanical characteristics, hardness, fire retardant, thermal stability, hydrophobicity, and degrading nature of jute-soy composites was investigated, and it was discovered that its presence by a part of 3 weight percentage enhanced tensile strength by 37.2% and flexural strength by 34.7%, respectively. The hardness and thermal stability of jute-jarosite-soy composites are enhanced by 17.5% and 35.8%, respectively, over jute-soy composites. After 60 days, soil burial analyses of these composites revealed more than 70% weight loss. Due to its moderate strength and entirely biodegradable nature, manufactured jute-jarosite-soy composite can be used to replace non-degradable thermoplastic usage in several sectors.

Plastic pots used in horticultural nurseries generate substantial waste, causing environmental pollution. This study aimed to develop biodegradable composites from banana pseudo-stem reinforced with agricultural residues like pineapple leaves, taro and water hyacinth as eco-friendly substitutes. The aim of this study is to develop optimised banana biocomposite formulations with suitable reinforcements that balance mechanical durability, biodegradation, and seedling growth promotion properties to serve as viable eco-friendly alternatives to plastic seedling pots. This study was carried out by fabricating banana fibre mats through pulping, drying and hot pressing. Composite sheets were reinforced with 50 % pineapple, taro or water hyacinth fibres. The mechanical properties (tensile, yield strength, elongation, bursting strength), hydrophilicity (contact angle, water absorption), biodegradability (soil burial test), and seedling growth promotion were evaluated through appropriate testing methods. The results show that banana-taro composites exhibited suitable tensile strength (25 MPa), elongation (27 %), water uptake (41 %) and 82 % biodegradation in 60 days. It was observed that biodegradable seedling trays fabricated from banana-taro composite showed 95 % tomato seed germination and a 125 cm plant height increase in 30 days, superior to plastic trays. The finding shows that the study demonstrates the potential of banana-taro biocomposites as alternatives to plastic nursery pots, enabling healthy seedling growth while eliminating plastic waste pollution through biodegradation.