The problem of organic waste in Indonesia is increasing along with high food production, including bananas, which reached 9.3 million tons in 2023. Most banana peel waste is simply discarded or used as animal feed without added value, even tho plantain banana peel (Musa acuminata balbisiana) contains up to 17% cellulose, which has the potential for utilization. Seeing this, the Agrevata Team from Diponegoro University presented an environmentally friendly innovation titled “From Waste to Watts: Green Extraction of Cellulose from Kepok Banana Peel via Microwave-Assisted Extraction for Sodium-Ion Battery Applications.”
This innovation led the Agrevata Team to win the Best Poster award at the 2025 CREATION (Chemical Engineering Research Competition) event organized by the Chemical Engineering Student Association (HMTK) of Diponegoro University. The team, consisting of Zuriel Nicholas Ferdinan Tampubolon and Bayu Surya Kusuma from the Industrial Chemical Engineering Technology Study Program, UNDIP Vocational School, and Ken Sebastian from the Faculty of Animal Science and Agriculture (FPP) UNDIP, was guided by Sri Risdhiyanti Nuswantari, S.Tr.T., M.T. Using the Microwave-Assisted Extraction (MAE) approach, the team was able to efficiently and environmentally friendly extract pure cellulose from kepok banana peel waste. The MAE method allows the extraction process to take only 14 minutes with a purity level of 85%, which is much faster than conventional methods that are wasteful of energy and chemicals.
The extracted cellulose was then used as a precursor for sodium-ion (Na-ion) battery anodes, which are considered more sustainable than lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries because their raw materials are more abundant, cheaper, and environmentally friendly. Characterization results using FTIR, XRD, and SEM-EDX show a dominant crystalline structure and morphology that support electrochemical performance, making it promising as a future energy storage material.
With this achievement, the Agrevata Team successfully demonstrated that cross-disciplinary collaboration between industrial chemical technology and animal science can generate concrete solutions for energy and environmental issues. Their success in winning Best Poster at CREATION 2025 is concrete proof that the spirit of “From Waste to Watts” is not just a slogan, but a real step toward a sustainable green energy future.