“Modification of macadamia shells to cellulose acetate for production of biodegradable plastic packaging”
Country of Study
Kenya
Institution
University of Nairobi
Expected Year of Completion
2025
Thematic Area
Energy and Engineering
Education
Stellah is pursuing her PhD in Environmental and Biosystems Engineering at the University of Nairobi. She is also an Environmental Health and Safety Manager at Sasini PLC and holds an MSC in Environmental and Biosystems Engineering from the University of Nairobi.
Research Summary
Stellah’s research seeks to address waste nut shells, for a cleaner, more sustainable environment. Macadamia nuts processing generates much solid waste from husks and shells. The husks are usually used as manure as they can quickly decompose, while shells are used as biofuel since they do not decompose easily. Accumulating waste nut shells poses a health risk as it can easily become a breeding ground for pests. It also consumes a lot of space to hold while awaiting disposal. Currently the plastic packaging materials used in the market are derived from fossil fuels, which are not biodegradable and largely contribute to pollution of the environment, a health hazard to humans.
