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Agro-waste reinforced kombucha bacterial cellulose composites for sustainable woven craft materials
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Scientists combined kombucha "leather" (the same rubbery material used to brew kombucha tea) with waste fibers from pineapple leaves and corn husks to create a sturdy, plant-based fabric strong enough for traditional weaving crafts. This matters because it could replace synthetic, petroleum-based fibers, which shed microplastics into water and eventually our bodies, with a fully biodegradable alternative made from farm waste that would otherwise be discarded.
The global woven craft and material industry has faced increasing criticism for excessive water consumption, chemical pollution, microplastic release from synthetic fibres, and dependence on non-renewable petroleum-based resources. Kombucha bacterial cellulose (KBC), a biodegradable, high-purity biomaterial, shows promising potential; however, its suitability for woven craft applications remains underexplored. This study investigates the development of agro-waste reinforced KBC composites as functional biomaterials for woven craft applications, with reference to traditional kasah weaving in Sarawak, Malaysia. Pineapple leaf fibres and baby corn husk fibres were incorporated into regenerated KBC matrices to produce twelve composite formulations. The morphological characteristics of the composites were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while tensile behaviour and moisture resistance were evaluated to assess performance under weaving-related conditions. The results demonstrated that fibre reinforcement significantly improved the mechanical stability, fibre–matrix interaction, and structural integrity of KBC composites compared with pure KBC controls. Among the reinforced composites, pineapple fibre formulations exhibited superior mechanical performance, while the KBC-PS2 composite demonstrated the most balanced behaviour for woven craft applications by combining good tensile strength, tear resistance, and flexibility. The reinforced composites achieved a maximum tear strength of 25.447 MPa and exhibited improved tensile performance relative to pure KBC, indicating suitability for low-load woven craft and biomaterial applications while exceeding the tensile performance of traditional kasah bark reference materials. These characteristics provided enhanced resistance to weaving tension while maintaining sufficient flexibility for manipulation during weaving. This study highlights the potential of KBC-based composites as sustainable materials that support the integration of biomaterial innovation with culturally contextualised weaving practices.
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