+The economic feasibility of converting agricultural waste to PLA using simventure

Abstract

People's activities and a growing population contribute to a large increase in waste generation, resulting in several environmental risks that endanger life on the planet. Residues from agriculture contain a variety of beneficial chemicals. As an alternative source for the manufacturing of various products, these wastes can be utilized. To save resources and maintain the quality of the environment, agricultural residues management is considered an important technique. An increasing amount of bioplastics are being produced from agricultural waste because of its low cost and availability. It has a wide range of uses. Plastic films, bottles, and biodegradable medical equipment are some of the most popular benefits. It is commonly utilized in the packaging industry because of its ability to withstand high temperatures. Food packaging and single-use plastic have become increasingly popular with companies. Accordingly, companies started to adopt projects focusing on producing PLA from agricultural waste. Consequently, this paper aims to analyze the economic feasibility of converting agricultural waste to polylactic acid. This study covers two years using simVenture software. The goal of SimVenture is to help young people develop their corporates, businesses, and entrepreneurial thinking by stimulating their ideas. Moreover, the data collected is based on in-depth interviews with experts in this field. The results showed that the shareholder satisfaction and the cash flow increased over the two years. Also, the number of the produced products has increased. Although the number of liabilities increased in the first quarter of the first year, it noticeably decreased in the last quarter of the second year.