Electronic Theses and Dissertation

Peningkatan penggunaan kemasan plastik sekali pakai mendorong perlunya pengembangan kemasan alternatif yang ramah lingkungan dan mudah terurai, salah satunya biodegradable cup berbahan dasar rumput laut Eucheuma cottonii yang kaya akan kappa karagenan dan mampu membentuk gel kuat. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengevaluasi pengaruh penggunaan KOH terhadap mutu fisik biodegradable cup, mengevaluasi pengaruh variasi ketebalan cetakan dan jenis KOH terhadap mutu fisik biodegradable cup, serta menganalisis kelayakan finansial usaha produksinya. Penelitian dilaksanakan dalam dua tahap. Tahap I menggunakan Rancangan Acak Kelompok (RAK) nonfaktorial dengan perlakuan tanpa KOH (T1) dan KOH 8% (T2), sedangkan Tahap II menggunakan RAK faktorial dengan faktor ketebalan cetakan 6, 8, 10, 12, dan 14 mm serta jenis KOH PA dan teknis. Parameter yang diamati meliputi ketebalan, ketahanan air, daya serap air, kelarutan, daya kembang cup, serta analisis finansial menggunakan Break Even Point (BEP), Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), Benefit Cost Ratio (B/C), dan Payback Period (PP). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa penggunaan KOH pada Tahap I berpengaruh nyata (P≤0,05) terhadap seluruh parameter mutu fisik yang diamati. Perlakuan terbaik diperoleh pada KOH 8% dengan rasio rumput laut dan air 1:3 (T2), dengan ketebalan 0,19 mm, ketahanan air 72,5%, daya serap air 8,60%, kelarutan 9,90%, dan daya kembang cup 8,34%. Pada Tahap II, variasi ketebalan cetakan berpengaruh nyata terhadap karakteristik fisik biodegradable cup, sedangkan jenis KOH PA dan teknis tidak menunjukkan perbedaan nyata. Perlakuan terbaik berdasarkan uji De Garmo diperoleh pada ketebalan cetakan 14 mm dengan KOH teknis (C5K2), yang menghasilkan ketahanan air 80,00%, kelarutan 9,90%, daya serap air 7,27 g/g, dan daya kembang cup 8,34%. Analisis finansial menunjukkan bahwa usaha produksi biodegradable cup berbahan baku E. cottonii layak dikembangkan dengan NPV sebesar Rp160.416.846, IRR 51,88%, B/C 2,24, BEP 1.832 unit atau Rp4.579.540 per bulan, dan PP selama 1,69 tahun.

The increasing use of single-use plastic packaging has encouraged the development of environmentally friendly and biodegradable packaging alternatives, one of which is a biodegradable cup made from the seaweed Eucheuma cottonii, which is rich in kappa-carrageenan and has strong gel-forming properties. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of KOH treatment on the physical quality of biodegradable cups, evaluate the effects of mold thickness variations and KOH types on the physical quality of biodegradable cups, and analyze the financial feasibility of biodegradable cup production. The study was conducted in two stages. Stage I used a non-factorial Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with two treatments, namely without KOH (T1) and 8% KOH (T2), while Stage II used a factorial RCBD with mold thicknesses of 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 mm and two types of KOH, namely analytical grade (PA) and technical grade KOH. The observed parameters included cup thickness, water resistance, water absorption, solubility, cup swelling, and financial feasibility analysis using Break-Even Point (BEP), Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), Benefit-Cost Ratio (B/C), and Payback Period (PP). The results showed that KOH treatment in Stage I significantly affected (P≤0.05) all observed physical quality parameters. The best treatment was obtained using 8% KOH with a seaweed-to-water ratio of 1:3 (T2), resulting in a thickness of 0.19 mm, water resistance of 72.5%, water absorption of 8.60%, solubility of 9.90%, and cup swelling of 8.34%. In Stage II, mold thickness significantly affected the physical characteristics of the biodegradable cups, whereas the use of analytical-grade and technical-grade KOH did not result in significant differences in physical quality. Based on the De Garmo test, the best treatment was obtained from a 14 mm mold thickness combined with technical-grade KOH (C5K2), resulting in water resistance of 80.00%, solubility of 9.90%, water absorption of 7.27 g/g, and cup swelling of 8.34%. The financial analysis indicated that the production of biodegradable cups from E. cottonii was financially feasible, with an NPV of IDR 160,416,846, an IRR of 51.88%, a B/C ratio of 2.24, a BEP of 1,832 units or IDR 4,579,540 per month, and a PP of 1.69 years.