BANANA LEAVES INTO PAPER

PAPER- is mainly composed of the organic compound called cellulose

New sheets of paper can be manufactured by recycling cellulose fibres in
old paper.
Paper can also be made by extracting the cellulose fibres in fruits and
vegetables.
Different sources of cellulose yield sheets of papers with different
characteristics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ev0S2WZyNeI

Remove the stem and blossom end of four banana peels. Unripe peels work best, but you
can use just-ripened peels, too.

Place the skins in a sunny area such as your windowsill or deck until they transition from
yellow to entirely black. They’ll be ready to use in your homemade paper recipe as soon
as they are completely devoid of all moisture and pliability.

Place 1 cup of shredded recycled paper into a blender along with 2 cups of water. Cover it
securely and then blend the combo on high until a gray-tinged slurry forms.

Prepare your completely dried banana skins so they can be added to the paper pulp by
first rough-cutting them into ½-inch bits and then depositing them into a pot of rapidly
boiling water. Allow the material to soften for approximately 15 to 20 minutes, stirring
occasionally.

The rehydrated banana skins are now ready to be added to the paper slurry already in
your blender. Once you augment the mixture with an additional cup of water, replace the
lid and process on high until it all comes together in texture and consistency.

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Place your papermaking mold and deckle in the bottom of a plastic basin with the glass
frame facing up. Slowly pour the paper slurry inside the mold while concurrently raising
the double frame so all the excess water in your paper mixture drains through. Make sure
the paper pulp covers the entire surface area of the mold by hand-pressing it into place;
this step will reduce the moisture content so it is easier to release your homemade
banana paper sheet from its frame.

With a large damp cloth covering your table, place the mold/deckle on top so the deckle
frame can be immediately removed, followed by the mold itself. What will remain is a
somewhat solid sheet of recycled banana skin-paper pulp that must be cured before use.
Allow it to dry for approximately 24 hours or until all water has evaporated.

Things You Will Need

● 4 banana peels
● Assorted shredded recycled paper
● Sharp knife
● Pot
● Spoon
● Measuring cup
● Papermaking mold and deckle
● Large plastic basin
● Blender or food processor (with a minimum 4 cup capacity)
● Large damp cloth

Tips

● Ideal recycled paper sources for this project include colored envelopes, comic
pages, magazine advertisements, fast food wrappers, jar labels, wrapping paper
and junk mail.

● Create a homemade paper mold (also known as a mold and deckle) by removing
the glass insert in one large picture frame and replacing it with metal mesh
screen, taking care to secure the material around the perimeter with a staple
gun. Then stack the second picture frame (with the glass still inside) directly on
top of the screened frame.
● If you like the idea of creating banana-based paper but don’t want to commit to
the entire drying and rehydration process, you can purchase premade banana
fiber from a papermaking supplier.