University of Alberta researcher Marleny Saldaña in her lab with a sample of ground-up canola straw. Saldaña used the waste byproduct to create cellulose fiber that makes the biodegradable, plant-based cling wrap she is developing 12 times stronger. Source: Sean TownsendA researcher from the University of Alberta, Canada, has discovered a new use case for canola byproduct — strengthening a plant-based, biodegradable, in-development cling wrap.

During the development of a cassava starch-based cling wrap, food and bioengineering processing researcher Marleny Saldaña and her team applied the cellulose nanofibers from canola straw to improve the tensile strength of the clear, plastic-like cling film, making it roughly 12 times stronger. The leftover straw is typically used for little else beyond bedding for soil nutrients, yet contains valuable ingredients such as lignin and cellulose, which support the canola plant. The team explained this is the first time that canola byproduct has been used for such a purpose.

Made from damaged potatoes and cassava roots from Brazil and Africa, the plant-based, biodegradable cling film can reportedly be used to package food in lieu of traditional plastic, which is overwhelming the world’s oceans.

"We have a huge problem with the millions of tonnes of plastics that are produced; landfilling isn't possible anymore as much of it winds up in our oceans, so we need to look for new alternatives to produce these types of materials for a wide range of applications," Saldaña explained.

According to the researchers, the canola straw cellulose could also potentially be used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and biomedical applications.

The research appears in The Journal of Supercritical Fluids.