A novel composite foam was prepared from native cassava starch and water hyacinth (WH) by baking in a hot mold. The effects of WH powder content (0, 3, 5, 7 or 10 wt%, dry starch basis) on the properties of the starch foam were investigated. A starch foam formulation with 5 wt% WH powder exhibited the highest flexural stress at maximum load (3.42 MPa), the highest flexural strain (extension) at maximum load (3.52%), the highest modulus (232.00 MPa), the lowest moisture content (6.77%) and the most uniform cell size distribution (0.44 ± 0.09 mm). Moreover, mechanical properties of starch foam with 5 wt% WH powder were better than the same properties of some commercial foams. After being coated with beeswax, the starch foams retained their shape after immersion in distilled water and their water solubility was significantly reduced. Results indicated that a starch foam/5 wt% WH composite with beeswax coating was a biodegradable foam that could possibly replace commercial non-degradable foam.

Biogas, generated from anaerobic digester (AD), has been one of the promising sources of renewable energy. To manage the organic waste from small cassava industry in Brazil, a waste-water-energy-food nexus (WWEF) system is proposed, combining AD and co-generation or combined heat and power (CHP) plants. However, the environmental impacts and benefits of this system are yet not known. By using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method, environmental impacts of three scenarios are assessed, i.e. business-as-usual (base), improved business-as-usual and WWEF closed-loop. Functional unit (FU) in this study is defined as generating 1 kg cassava starch/flour. Global warming potential (GWP), cumulative energy demand (CED), freshwater eutrophication potential (FEP), terrestrial acidification potential (TAP) and water depletion potential (WDP) are selected. Landfilling cassava waste, power use for cassava starch and flour production, and emissions from fertilizer application are identified as environmental hotspots for business-as-usual case, suggesting making decisions on these aspects when dealing with environmental impacts. By using cassava waste to recover energy and nutrients for Brazilian rural family farming, the WWEF system is identified as the best environment-friendly scenario with lowest environmental impacts for the selected impact categories. The impact savings of the closed-loop scenario for GWP are over 90%, while over 50% of emissions for other selected impact categories, except FEP (lower than 10%), are saved compared to the business-as-usual and improved scenarios. Sensitivity analysis reinforces the results. Overall, this study provides a view on the potential of using cassava waste for the WWEF closed-loop system in Brazil, suggesting that the proposed WWEF closed-loop system is feasible and beneficial for small industries from the environmental perspective.