Sustainable recycling of paddy straw through development of short-fiber-reinforced composites: exploring gainful utilization of agricultural waste

The use of paddy straw (PS) is proposed in this research as a reinforcing filler for manufacturing reinforced polymeric composite using polypropylene (PP) and could present a cost-effective and feasible substitute for conventional wood-based plywood. The PS/PP composites could potentially offer a sustainable solution by virtue of the abundance and renewability of this waste biomass and huge quantities of recyclable segregated polymer from solid waste processors. The short-fiber-reinforced paddy straw composites were manufactured using the injection molding technique—which could be supportive for industry-scale production with high reliable quality and design flexibility. The composites were characterized systematically—where the 60:40 wt% ratio of PS: PP was the optimum. The shock resistance positively correlated with fiber loading with a maximum value of 2818 J/m². The tensile and flexural strengths were found to be maximum at 60 wt% of fiber loading. The developed PS/PP composites exhibited low water absorption as compared to their wood counterparts—which could be beneficial for their application in furniture, insulators, packaging, and interiors in the housing sector. Further, the valorization of paddy straw can potentially diminish the present practice of open-burning of this agricultural residue. Thus, the gainful utilization of paddy straw could offer multiple benefits, including a reduction in GHG emissions and deforestation. This innovation can potentially contribute to achieving the UN's sustainable development goals, including Climate Action (SDG 13), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), and Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure (SDG 9).