The Mukah sago (Metroxylon sagu Rottboll ) industry is always at loss to toss its waste. After producing the sago flour, the industry has abundant sago waste such as bark and fiber. The local residents use the barks of the trunk as fuel, wall materials, ceiling and fence, but the soft fibre waste has to be thrown away. Researching to ease the problem, Uitm researchers studied to make paper from this soft waste from the sago factories in Mukah and Pusak areas, Sarawak, East Malaysia.
Wan Samiati Andriana bt W Mohamad Daud and team developed a technology to produce acid free, eco-friendly and bio-degradable paper from sago. Paper made from fibers possesses a diverse range of texture. Paper products from wood pulp which is strong and relatively coarse, usually brown in colour, can be bleached to produce white paper suitable as paper grocery bags, multiwall sacks, envelopes and other packaging.
The sago paper was tested and found suitable for cardboard, gift boxes of various designs with uniform consistency and rigidity. Similarly, the paper was good for making envelopes, note book cover and souvenir paperbags. The quality of the bleached sago craft paper also fulfilled the attributes for water colour painting. It is able to provide a stable surface for furnish, colour, weight, finish, sizing and dimensions and permanence of watercolour painting. Other than reducing pollution, craft paper from sago may help diversity the use of raw and waste materials in the sago industry, thus helping provide extra income for farmers. It is indeed a boost for the craft industry, artists and handicraft lovers. Further research is being carried out on the versatility of craft paper made from sago waste.
Information contact:
Wan Samiati Andriana bt W Mohamad Daud
Margaret Chan Kit Yok
Norazlin Abdullah
Safrina Muhammad Azmi
Reported by Megawati Omar
Research Management Institute
UiTM
