Development and Evaluation of Rice Husk-Based Cardboard for Sustainable Packaging

The global e-commerce surge has intensified the demand for cardboard and paper packaging, exacerbating deforestation and ecological degradation due to reliance on wood pulp. This study explores rice husk, an agricultural by-product with an annual global yield exceeding 120 million tons, as a sustainable raw material for packaging applications. A novel manufacturing process was developed combining rice husk with starch, Elmer's glue, and a polylactic acid coating, following sodium hydroxide pretreatment. Comparative mechanical evaluations revealed that PLA-coated rice husk boards demonstrated strong performance, achieving an edge crush resistance of 8.14kN/m and a burst strength of 663kPa. These boards also exhibited enhanced humidity and water resistance. The widespread availability, and robust mechanical properties of these boards position them as an eco-friendly substitute for wood-based packaging. By mitigating solid waste and reducing dependence on virgin wood resources, rice husk-based packaging presents a scalable solution to support sustainable material innovation and environmental conservation.