A Middle School Investigation into Developing Environmentally Friendly Packaging

This STEM research project asks middle school or high school students to work towards creating ecologically friendly packaging. Packaging that can be composted instead of thrown away and collected in landfills and oceans like plastics. This inquiry uses nanocellulose and focuses on water permeability. The fibers of nanocellulose can be dried to make a rather strong and thin film, but due to the spaces between the fibers the film is too water permeable and therefore makes poor packaging materials on its own. Students will create nanocellulose composite films with other biodegradable materials, in an attempt to fill the inter-fiber microscopic spaces and create a new film that can be easily tested for water permeability. Students set up a straightforward science experiment with films, water, and mason jars. They will collect and graph data to determine if their nanocellulose composite films reduce water permeability compared to plain nanocellulose and how close they are to the present standard, plastic. This research is an amalgam of disciplinary core ideas like properties and states of matter, as well as a combination of science and engineering practices. It ignites students' curiosity, provides an organic path to science fair extensions, while also helping to cultivate future scientists, engineers, and environmental activists.