IPB Students Create NacoPack, Eco-Friendly Packaging Made from Straw to Keep Cavendish Bananas Fresh

A team of students from IPB University who are members of the TechNature Group have developed NacoPack, eco-friendly active packaging made from rice straw and activated coconut shell carbon.

This innovation serves as a solution to reduce food loss in Cavendish bananas during distribution, while also supporting the implementation of a circular economy in the agricultural sector.

“We utilize rice straw as the base material for paper fiber and activated carbon from coconut shells as an absorber of ethylene gas and air humidity. The combination of these materials produces efficient, economical, and sustainable active packaging,” said Aisha Nurfadhilla, the student team leader.

According to data from the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the Ministry of Agriculture (2022), Indonesia experiences food losses of up to Rp551 trillion per year. Most of this is caused by food loss of fruits and vegetables along the supply chain.

As one of Indonesia’s leading export commodities, Cavendish bananas are prone to damage due to their rapid ripening process. This is what motivated Aisha and her team—Hawa Zahra Ramadhani, Moch Ragil Zia Rahman, Pradiptha Aryasena, and Qoida Amanina Syahadah—to design NacoPack as a multifunctional active packaging.

Reusable
This product is a 60x40cm active packaging sheet that can absorb ethylene gas and water vapor produced by fruit after harvest, thereby slowing down the ripening process and maintaining fruit quality for longer. Uniquely, this product can be reused several times before being composted.

“NacoPack is designed not only to extend the freshness of fruit but also to be an environmentally friendly packaging solution because it is easily biodegradable, thereby reducing plastic waste and adding value to agricultural waste,” explained Aisha.

This product has been introduced in various scientific activities and exhibitions, including the Youth Action Exhibition 2025 as part of The 24th International Student Summit on Food, Agriculture, and Environment, a collaboration between IPB University and Tokyo University of Agriculture.

Moving forward, the TechNature Group team plans to expand the application of NacoPack to other climacteric fruits such as mangoes, papayas, and avocados. This innovation is expected to be a tangible contribution by IPB University students in supporting sustainable agriculture. (dr) (IAAS/ARD)