A Study on Production of Soil Covering Materials Using Waste Paper and Citrus Pomace

Abstract

Soil cover materials for the mulching has been used to regulate ground temperature, suppress weed growth, and retain moisture in the soil due to global warming. Plastic-based mulching materials are mainly used for soil covering, but there are related problems such as lack of water retention and control of the waste covering materials that pollute the soil. In this study, citrus pomace and waste paper were used to produce soil mulching material to contribute to resource recycling and the effects on water retention and compression strength were evaluated for functional evaluation. The addition of waste paper fibers to citrus pomace increased water retention property and compression strength. And the addition of the calcium oxide provided the increase in the strength properties and the control of pH.