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With an increase in environmental pollution and microplastic problems, it is more urgent now to replace non-biodegradable films with biodegradable films that are low-cost and from renewable resources. Cotton gin motes (GM), a type of cellulosic waste that is generated from cotton ginning, is an excellent candidate for fabricating biodegradable films due to its properties and abundance. In this study, GM was first mechanically milled into a fine powder, followed by compounding with polycaprolactone (PCL) and extruded to produce composite pellets which were then compress-moulded into composite films. This environmentally friendly process used physical processing and all the materials were consumed in the process without generating any waste residue. To improve the compatibility and mixing properties between GM and PCL, the use of a plasticiser (polyethylene glycol) was considered. A high content of GM powder (up to 50%) was successfully compounded with the polymer. The SEM images of the composite films showed smooth surface morphology and well-distributed GM powder in the PCL matrix. The added advantage of compounding GM with the polymer matrix was that the composite film developed UV-shielding properties due to the presence of lignin in the GM powder. This property will be critical for films used in UV-resistance applications. Furthermore, the composite even with high GM content (50%), showed good mechanical properties, with 9.5 MPa yield strength and 442% elongation, which was only a 50% decrease in elongation when compared with clear PCL film. The soil biodegradation of GM composite films under controlled temperature (20 °C) and humidity (50%) for 1 month showed around 41% weight loss. Overall, this study demonstrates the potential of GM to be used as a biodegradable and UV-protective composite film for a wide array of applications, such as packaging and UV-protective coverings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additive manufacturing (AM) through material extrusion (MEX) is becoming increasingly popular worldwide due to its simple, sustainable and safe technique of material preparation, with minimal waste generation. This user-friendly technique is currently extensively used in diverse industries and household applications. Recently, there has been increasing attention on polycaprolactone (PCL)-based composites in MEX due to their improved biodegradability. These composites can be printed at a lower temperature, making them more energy efficient compared to commercial filaments such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polylactic acid (PLA). Although wool is the leading protein fibre in the world and can be more compatible with PCL due to its inherent hydrophobicity, the suitability of MEX using a wool/PCL combination has not been reported previously. In the current study, waste wool/PCL composite parts were printed using the MEX technique, and rheology, thermal and tensile properties, and morphology were analysed. The impact of wool loading (10% and 20%) was investigated in relation to different filling patterns (concentric, rectilinear and gyroid). Furthermore, the impact of fibre fineness on the final material produced through MEX was investigated for the first time using two types of wool fibres with diameters of 16 µm and 24 µm. The yield strength and modulus of PCL increased with the inclusion of 10% wool, although the elongation was reduced. The crystallinity of the composites was found to be reduced with wool inclusion, though the melting point of PCL remained mostly unchanged with 10% wool inclusion, indicating better compatibility. Good miscibility and uniform structure were observed with the inclusion of 10% wool, as evidenced by rheology and morphology analysis. The impact of fibre fineness was mostly minor, though wool/PCL composites showed improved thermal stability with finer diameter of wool fibres. The printed specimens exhibited an increasing rate of biodegradation in marine water, which was correlated to the amount of wool present. Overall, the results demonstrate the practical applicability of the wool/PCL composition in MEX for the preparation of varied objects, such as containers, toys and other household and industrial items. Using wool/PCL combinations as regular plastics would provide a significant environmental advantage over the non-degradable polymers that are currently used for these purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cotton gin trash (CGT), a lignocellulosic waste generated during cotton fibre processing, has recently received significant attention for production of composite bio-plastics. However, earlier studies were limited to either with biodegradable polymers, through small-scale solution-casting method, or using industrially adaptable extrusion route, but with non-biodegradable polymers. In this study, a scale-up production of completely biodegradable CGT composite plastic film with adjustable biodegradation rate is proposed. First using a twin screw extruder, the prepared CGT powder was combined with polycaprolactone (PCL) to form pellets, and then using the compressing moulding, the pellets were transformed into bio-plastic composite films. Hydrophilic polyethylene glycol (PEG) was used as a plasticiser in the mixture and its impact on the biodegradation rate was analysed. The morphology of CGT bio-plastic composite films showed even distribution of CGT powder within the PCL matrix. The CGT incorporation improved the UV resistance, thermal stability, and Young's modulus of PCL material. Further, the flexibility and mixing properties of the composites were improved by PEG. Overall, this study demonstrated a sustainable production method of CGT bio-plastic films using the whole CGT and without any waste residue produced, where the degradation of the produced composite films can be adjusted to minimise the environmental impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignin is a natural source of UV-shielding materials, though its recalcitrant and heterogeneous structure makes the extraction and purification processes complex. However, lignin's functionality can be directly utilised when it stays as native with cellulose and hemicellulose in plant biomass, rather than being separated. The fabrication process of this native lignin is sustainable, as it consumes less energy and chemicals compared to purified lignin; thus, it is an economic and more straightforward approach. In this study, the properties of native and purified lignin–cellulose nanocrystals (L–CNCs) sourced from hemp hurd waste were compared to explore the differences in their morphology, UV-shielding properties and chemical structure affected by their distinct fabrication process. These two kinds of L–CNCs were further added into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to evaluate their reinforcement characteristics. The resulting native L–CNCs/PVA film showed stronger UV-shielding ability than purified L–CNCs. Moreover, the native L–CNCs showed better compatibility with PVA, while the purified L–CNCs/PVA interfaces showed phase separation. The phase separation in purified L–CNCs/PVA films reduced the films' tensile strength and Young's modulus and increased the water vapour transmission. The laboratory-scale cost of native L–CNCs production (~AUD 80/kg) was only 10% of purified L–CNCs (~AUD 850/kg), resulting in a comparatively lower cost for preparing native L–CNCs/PVA composite films. Overall, this study shows that the proposed method of production and use of native L–CNCs can be an economic approach to deliver UV-shielding properties for potential applications, such as food packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cotton gin trash (CGT), a potential lignocellulose resource was combined with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) to produce the biodegradable composite plastic film. A 50:50 CGT/PVA ratio was maintained using coarse and fine CGT powder particles and the effect of particle size on the morphology, crystallinity, tensile strength, optical transmittance, thermal stability and biodegradability was investigated. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) image showed uniform distribution of CGT in PVA matrix particularly of the fine powders (~5.7 μm). The incorporation of CGT in PVA enhanced the tensile strength, biodegradability, thermal stability and induced complete UV protection. Overall, while the flexibility of the composite film decreased, the tensile strength increased 10% and 20%, respectively by the coarse and fine CGT powders when compared to the pure PVA film. Considering the fabrication cost as estimated in the study, the results point towards the immense potential of CGT as a low-cost reinforcement material for PVA to be successfully used in the production of biodegradable plastic material. Unlabelled Image • Successful fabrication of cotton gin trash (CGT)/poly(vinyl alcohol) composite film. • Transparent plastic films showed UV protection. • Tensile strength and thermal stability increased by CGT incorporation in PVA. • Fine CGT powder showed uniform distribution in PVA compared to coarse powder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are very few reports, if any, on the physicochemical changes during the powder fabrication of cotton gin trash (CGT), an abundant source of lignocellulose. This particular study can be very informative for the production of new CGT composite materials. In our current study, we investigated the changes in particle size, morphology, surface area, chemical structure, crystallinity, thermal and moisture properties of CGT at different stages of the milling operation. An attritor milling of CGT up to 4 h reduced the particle size (from 144.2 μm to 6.2 μm) and enhanced the surface area up to 2.5 times without damaging its original properties, including crystallinity and chemical structure. Milling operation beyond 4 h did not further reduce the particle size effectively, though affected the thermal stability of CGT. Overall, it is suggested that the milled CGT can be a sustainable source of lignocellulose powder for use in a wide area of applications. Unlabelled Image • Cotton gin trash powder from a chemical free fabrication process • Unchanged crystallinity and chemical structure by the fabrication • Increased surface area and moisture uptake properties in fine powders • The fine powders are suitable for producing plastic combining with polymers, e.g., poly(vinyl alcohol). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of plasma on textiles is a highly beneficial technique to improve dyeability and reduce the consumption of water, energy, and time. This is advantageous for the industries to demonstrate high productivity and quality of the product but at a lower cost. Plasma treatment usually is applied as a pre-treatment before the conventional dyeing process, where the generation of dye wastewater remains a challenge. Plasma post-treatment can make a huge difference in reducing the dye wastewater; however, this has received little attention and more specifically the effectiveness of plasma on natural dye fixation is unknown. Natural dyes from waste, such as onion skin (Allium cepa L.) are greatly abundant and a low-cost green option for sustainable dyeing of textiles. In this study, a clean method of dyeing wool fabric with onion skin is proposed using a plasma-assisted spray-dyeing technique with no wastewater discharge. Four different plasma parameters were used varying the plasma operating power (40 W and 64 W) and treatment duration (30 s and 60 s). Mordanting and dyeing were done by a successive spraying-drying method in multiple rounds to reach the identical shade of a parallelly conducted conventional dyeing process. The removal of the cuticle layer of wool by plasma treatment was perceived from the morphology of the treated fabric, possibly contributing to the wettability. A higher plasma operating power and longer treatment time were beneficial and affected the overall dyeability. The chemical structure of wool showed a higher hydroxyl peak intensity after dyeing and a lower peak intensity of C–H groups after plasma post-treatment. The colour fastness properties (washing and crocking) improved after plasma post-treatment and confirmed the possible attachment of unfixed dyes with fabric. Overall, the time and energy consumed by the plasma-assisted spray-dyeing technique was nearly one-third of conventional dyeing, with no wastewater generation and led to a better colour strength (20.4 compared to 15.8) and similar colour fastness. Results showed the great potential for this newly proposed method as a sustainable textile dyeing alternative. [Display omitted] • First ever use of plasma post-treatment for fixation of natural dye on wool fabric. • Plasma-assisted spray-dyeing technique is proposed with no wastewater discharge. • Similar colour strength and fastness achieved compared to conventional dyeing. • One-third of time and energy consumed compared with conventional dyeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

3D printing is a popular technique for numerous applications from households to industrial purposes. Commercially available filaments for 3D printing are not eco-friendly, yet energy intensive due to their high extrusion temperature (200–220°C). Polycaprolactone (PCL) is increasingly proposed for 3D printing due to its biocompatibility and lower extrusion temperature, which is more sustainable, though is slow in actual biodegradation. Although PCL-blends are often proposed to promote the degradation, strong hydrophobicity of PCL leads to poor compatibility. This study, for the first time proposes waste wool/PCL filaments for 3D printing using a clean production method, to utilise the hydrophobicity of wool as an advantage with PCL interfaces. Micro-sized wool powders from waste wool fabrics of two fibre fineness (16 and 24 μm) were prepared with minimal in-process waste and then extruded completely with PCL using different ratios (10/90, 20/80 and 25/75 combination of wool/PCL) to produce the composite filaments. A uniform mixing in the composite structure was observed particularly with 10% of wool loading, also the biodegradation rate significantly increased, i.e., from 0.8% to 6.8–10.5% in 3 months. Filaments prepared with 10% and 20% wool showed an increased yield strength, while a finer diameter of initial fibre was found more influential in changing tensile, thermal, and crystalline properties. The reduction in crystallinity was found correlated to the increasing amount of wool, though interlayer spacing of PCL was unaltered and overall thermal stability improved. The filaments were found printable through a 0.4 mm nozzle using a desktop 3D printer at 80 mm/min speed. The findings suggested the possible use of the produced filaments for fabrication of varied products, such as containers for holding or packing, toys, and other common household objects or industrial tools. [Display omitted] • Clean production of Waste wool/Polycaprolactone filaments for 3D printing. • Utilisation of the hydrophobicity of wool as an advantage with PCL matrix. • Tensile strength and biodegradation were improved by wool addition. • Finer fibre was influential in tensile, thermal, and crystalline properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cotton gin trash (CGT), a large quantity by-product of cotton ginning process can differ in its contents among different seasons, cotton harvesting methods and ginning processes, due to its complex mixture. Finding a sustainable and constant powder fabrication method across different variety of CGT is important for practical application of CGT powder. However, the impact of variability of CGT and the powder preparation methods on the properties of CGT powder have not been addressed in the literature so far. In this study, achieving micro-sized powder from CGT was targeted and difference in the particle size and properties of the prepared powders were investigated in relation to their fractional content across different batches and drying techniques. This will facilitate choosing the right method to reach desired particle size and properties of CGT for a targeted application. Three different batches of CGT were collected from New South Wales, Australia, across three different years (2017, 2018, and 2022). The micro-sized CGT powders were then fabricated through mechanical milling and using two different methods: spray drying and ring grinding. A wide range of micro-sized particles (4.9–92.6 μm) was achievable from CGT by varying the milling time and drying method. Though the cotton fibre content affected particle size of the milled slurry, its impact was found minor when the milled slurry was converted into dried CGT powder. The powder morphology and chemical structure of CGT powder from different batches were not significantly different though the crystallinity index was found higher for the samples with higher amount of cotton fibres. The thermal stability of powders was mainly affected by milling time, drying technique, and fibre content though the impact was minimal. The moisture absorption of the CGT powder was found higher for ring ground powders, which was further improved by lower cotton content. Overall, this study provides an applicable and sustainable powder production method which could be used to optimise milling times, and drying techniques across different CGT sources to obtain required particle size for utilisation of CGT, such as composite reinforcement. [Display omitted] • Reporting a sustainable and constant cotton gin trash (CGT) powder fabrication method. • A wide range of micro-sized CGT particles (4.9–92.6 μm) was produced. • Drying method was found more impactful on CGT powder size rather than CGT variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three types of vinyl sulphone dyes were measured in the effluent in this study. The selected dyes were Remazol Yellow RR (mono-functional), Remazol Blue RR (homo bi-functional) and Remazol Red RR (hetero bi-functional). The extinction coefficients of these dyes were measured by creating absorbance versus concentration curves. The absorbance values were obtained by testing standard solutions of each dye in a UV–visible spectrophotometer. The dyeing process was carried out at 4 different dye concentrations (0.025 g/40 ml, 0.05 g/40 ml, 0.10 g/40 ml and 0.15 g/40 ml) on a 5-g fabric sample for each of the dyes. The post-dye liquors and post-wash liquors were tested in an UV–visible spectrophotometer, and their concentrations were calculated using the Beer–Lambert law. The contribution of these dyes to the effluent was calculated and compared, and their adsorption isotherms (Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm) were analysed. The homo bi-functional dye (Blue RR) performed well in the dye bath, but it contributed significantly to the effluent during the washing stages. The mono-functional dye (Yellow RR) was able to adsorb, but it did not perform well due to its greater heterogeneity. The hetero bi-functional Red RR dye was found to be the most environmentally friendly in comparison with the other vinyl sulphone dyes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across the world, waste wool generated in farms and textile industries is often discarded without any utilisation. Low thermal stability of wool, i.e., melting of α-helix near 160 °C and degradation around 185–210 °C, further limits its use where a higher temperature is required. In the past, wool powder with slightly enhanced thermo-stability has been prepared using ionic liquids (from those containing toxic imidazole and pyridine), though the search for finding a sustainable and economic alternative is still ongoing. The current study proposes a conversion method of wool waste into highly thermo-stable micro-sized silica-modified powder through controlled disintegration of wool using a single-step chemical treatment. This study for the first time, reports an optimised method of wool powder preparation using sodium silicate solution while also maintains comparatively lower chemical to wool ratio among the previous reports. The properties of chemically prepared powder were thoroughly compared with powder of similar size prepared using mechanical milling. The chemical modification of wool showed improvement in its crystalline structure through α-helix to β-sheet transition and reduction in the interlayer spacing. The known high thermal stability of silicate groups significantly enhanced the thermal stability of the modified wool, given only 12–38% weight loss was recorded even at 600 °C. Overall, this research reveals an innovative method of transforming waste wool into thermally stable micro-sized powder for potential wider applications, such as high temperature extrusion, 3D printing, thermo-resistive coating, insulation in automotive and construction industries. [Display omitted] • Silica-modified wool powder was prepared by one-step chemical treatment. • Micro-sized particle was achieved using low chemical to wool ratio. • α-helix to β-sheet transition observed with improved crystallinity. • Thermal stability significantly increased by silicate integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignin is a natural light-coloured ultraviolet (UV) absorber; however, conventional extraction processes usually darken its colour and could be detrimental to its UV-shielding ability. In this study, a sustainable way of fabricating lignin–cellulose nanocrystals (L-CNCs) from hemp hurd is proposed. A homogeneous morphology of the hemp particles was achieved by ball milling, and L-CNCs with high aspect ratio were obtained through mild acid hydrolysis on the ball-milled particles. The L-CNCs were used as filler in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film, which produced a light-coloured nanocomposite film with high UV-shielding ability and enhanced tensile properties: the absorption of UV at wavelength of 400 nm and transparency in the visible-light region at wavelength of 550 nm was 116 times and 70% higher than that of pure PVA, respectively. In addition to these advantages, the nanocomposite film showed a water vapour transmission property comparable with commercial food package film, indicating potential applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new cost-effective approach for producing bio-plastic from the combination of poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and cotton gin trash (CGT) is reported in this study intended for probable replacement of non-biodegradable plastics in packaging. The effect of diethylene glycol, glycerol and urea as plasticisers and ethyl cellulose (EC) as coating agent were investigated. The plasticising effect was governed by the synergistic influence of the solubility parameter, molecular weight and the linearity of the plasticisers' chemical structure. A better plasticising effect reduced the vacant areas at CGT/PVA interfaces, and decreased the crystallinity and tensile strength, while improved the moisture absorption, transmission and thermal stability. Urea, as the plasticiser, showed the best performance among others (modulus 257 MPa, slightly higher than that of commercial LDPE (213.5 MPa), followed by glycerol. With complete flexibility (folding endurance >200), the tensile strength of the composite films was higher than LDPE. The film coated with EC was able to resist water drop penetration at least for 10 min. The films were semi-transparent and have excellent UV resistance. The related cost of electricity and chemicals per gram film production was estimated around 0.02 and 0.18–0.19 AUD, respectively. Overall, this study showed a sensible method of producing water-resistant flexible bio-plastic that could be beneficial in encountering current plastic pollution. [Display omitted] • Flexible cotton gin trash (CGT)/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) plastic was developed. • New method to induce water-resistant property to CGT/PVA plastic was proposed. • CGT/PVA plastics showed relatively similar modulus and higher tensile strength to LDPE. • Thermal stability of PVA enhanced by CGT and complete UV protection achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cotton gin trash (CGT), the waste generated from cotton ginning is a low-cost and abundant source of lignocellulosic material. Effective valorisation of CGT is beneficial from both economical and environmental perspectives. Earlier investigations and reviews on CGT were mostly based on the ethanol and bioenergy production, and soil amendment properties of CGT. However, due to the low yield in ethanol preparation, the low heating value of CGT in energy production and reported critical issues in soil amendment, CGT yet remains as an underutilised material. However, the increasing number of studies in material science domain showed encouraging prospects of CGT. This includes using CGT as a composite filler, preparing transparent plastic by combining with polymer, adsorbing dye from wastewater, and extracting micro and nanocrystalline cellulose for a potential application. Nevertheless, currently, there is no review available dedicated to the material fabrication viewpoint of CGT. Therefore, this review addresses the current studies of CGT on material production, along with CGT structure and composition. This study also discusses the rationale of using CGT as a sustainable resource in the cleaner production of materials and explores the opportunities for future research. Image 1 • The composition and variability of cotton gin trash (CGT) are emphasised. • Current applications of CGT in materials production are reviewed. • Future scope of CGT as a commodity material is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cotton gin trash (CGT), an agro-industrial waste material produced during the ginning operation of cotton fibre, is a sustainable source of material to fabricate biodegradable polymer. Earlier research conducted on the preparation of polymer from different fractions of cotton trash such as linters, burrs and seed hulls cannot be pursued, as physical separation of these individual parts is quite difficult and impractical; the linters entangling all fractions. In our current study, we have used the whole cotton gin trash to fabricate films using formic acid (FA) with different CGT/FA weight ratios (0.5/99.5, 1/99, 3/97, 5/95 and 7/93) in a one-step process. Further, we investigated the structural changes, crystallinity, thermal property, tensile characteristics, wettability and biodegradability of the CGT films. The crystallinity of the films increased with increasing proportion of formic acid. The films were thermally stable up to 200 °C without any glass transition point. The tensile strength of the films was comparable to commercial low density polyethylene. The films produced in this study were found to be biodegradable. Therefore, the overall results have well exposed the CGT as a potential sustainable source for material production. Image 10481 • Fabrication of biodegradable film from whole cotton gin trash, as a biomass waste. • Crystallinity of the film enhanced with the higher proportion of formic acid in fabrication process. • Fabricated film showed comparable tensile strength to commercial low density polyethylene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N -methyl morpholine-N-oxide (NMMO) is the only commercialised solvent to dissolve cellulose and produce lyocell. However, the molecular mechanism of NMMO-induced cellulose solubilisation is unknown which limits further process development. In this work, and for the first time the complete dissolution process of a large cellulose bunch was simulated in NMMO monohydrate using long microsecond molecular dynamic simulations. The dissolution process was also simulated in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (EmimAc) as an efficient ionic liquid in cellulose dissolution and the results were compared with the aqueous conditions. While the cellulose bunch showed a stable and insoluble structure in pure water, it was completely and efficiently dissolved in both NMMO monohydrate and EmimAc. It was shown that the dissolution time of cellulose in NMMO monohydrate is almost twice that in EmimAc, which is in agreement with the experimental observations. Although it is revealed that hydrogen bonding is the main driving force of cellulose dissolution in NMMO monohydrate, one cannot explain the complete molecular mechanism of NMMO-induced cellulose dissolution only by considering hydrogen bonds. A straightforward molecular mechanism was proposed, in which the interactions of NMMO molecules, not with cellulose, but with the other NMMO molecules play a critical role in the dissolution process. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an in-depth review of the natural colourants covering their classifications, sources, extraction techniques, application techniques in relation to different textile fibres and their advantages and challenges. The academic readers will find here an overview of the latest developments in extraction and application techniques of a variety of natural colourants. Almost all commercially produced natural fibres and the major synthetic fibres are found to be dyeable and printable with natural colourants. Although the production of natural colourants offers a lot of environmental benefits, their application techniques in textile colouration are not always sound for environment due to the need of synthetic mordants in colouration process. Advances in modern agriculture and biotechnology can play a key role in sorting the limitations of natural colourants and at the same time more and more investigations are still required to establish their cleaner application on textiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

muslin silk fabric was dyed with three different bi-functional reactive dyes in exhaust method. Dyeability of the silk fabric was analyzed by reflectance spectra, microscopic appearance, color strength, and saturation limit. Thermal influence on dye exhaustion, migration index, level dyeing factor, and color fastness properties were also investigated. Different kinetic models were approached to study dynamic behavior of dye adsorption and predictability of the models was assessed by co-efficient of regression (r2), root mean square error (RMSE), and mean absolute error (MAE). Some physico-chemical parameters such as activation energy and chemical potential of dyeing were also evaluated. Brilliant color was observed on silk by all class of reactive dyes. A controlled dyeing condition was also suggested to avoid the risk of unlevel dyeing. Wet fastness properties exhibited excellent results on silk fabric. The adsorption data conformed to the pseudo second-order kinetic model with r2 ≥ 0.94 and the activation energy (ΔE) valued (≥55 kJ/mol) within the range of chemisorption for all dyes. The increase of negativity of chemical potential supported higher dye uptake on silk at elevated temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Use of non-degradable plastics in food packaging is alarming for the environment as they are often thrown away after short consumption. Though papers are replacing plastics in different sectors, their low water resistance limits their use in food packaging. in the past, water-resistant papers have been fabricated, but the natural degradability of the paper has been compensated. This study proposes water-resistant yet biodegradable papers from naturally abundant wastes, such as banana plant (BP) and water hyacinth (WH) and validates their properties for practical packaging uses. The resources were completely used, avoiding generation of any in-process biomass residue. This study for the first time reports the impact of ethyl cellulose (EC) coating (∼10 μm) on paper surfaces. The morphology and chemical analysis of the coated papers confirmed the consistent formation of EC layer on paper surfaces. The presence of EC significantly reduced the vapour transmission (22–30%) and moisture content (6–11%) of the papers. Water drops were stable on the coated surfaces at least for 20 min and then were wiped off leaving a dry surface. EC coating considerably increased the tensile index, i.e., 13–17% for BP and 20–35% for WH, though elongation and modulus properties remained almost unchanged. All the papers showed ultraviolet (UV)-resistance, while the coated papers were more transparent in the visible light region. Overall results confirmed the potential of the proposed EC-coated papers as a promising alternative to single-use plastics in food packaging. [Display omitted] • Water-resistant yet bio-friendly paper was made by ethyl cellulose (EC) coating. • Banana plant and water hyacinth were utilised as low-cost source of paper making. • Water drops were resisted by coated surface for at least 20 min. • Tensile index and transparency improved by coating though vapour transport reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]