Onndinadaho Rasilwela’s Biomulchies project uses agricultural waste to create biodegradable mulch, offering a potential alternative to conventional plastic used in farming.
South African chemical engineering graduate Onndinadaho Rasilwela has developed a biodegradable agricultural mulch made from waste materials, including sugarcane bagasse and maize stalks. Her innovation, called Biomulchies, aims to provide an alternative to conventional plastic mulch while creating a higher-value use for agricultural residues.
Rasilwela received the top prize of R150,000 at the 2026 Green Youth Indaba, held from June 17 to 19 at Sun City in South Africa’s North West province. The recognition highlights the potential of agricultural waste-based materials to support sustainable farming and reduce plastic pollution.
Sugarcane bagasse is the fibrous material left behind after sugarcane is crushed to extract its juice. Sugar mills commonly use it as a fuel for generating process heat and electricity, but its composition also makes it a potential feedstock for value-added materials such as biodegradable plastics.
The Biomulchies project focuses on agricultural mulch, which is used to control weeds, conserve soil moisture and help regulate conditions around crops. Conventional plastic mulch can leave persistent residues in fields after use, creating disposal and environmental challenges. Rasilwela’s approach seeks to address these concerns by developing a material that can biodegrade after serving its agricultural purpose.
By incorporating sugarcane bagasse and other agricultural residues into biodegradable material, the project could create an additional revenue opportunity for the agricultural and sugar industries. It also demonstrates how waste streams can be redirected into products that support the circular economy.
The innovation remains an emerging solution, and its wider adoption will depend on further development, performance testing and the ability to produce the material at commercial scale. Nevertheless, Biomulchies illustrates the growing interest in replacing fossil-based agricultural plastics with alternatives derived from renewable resources.
Rasilwela’s work reflects a broader movement toward converting agricultural by-products into useful materials. For sugar-producing regions, technologies that create new applications for bagasse could help reduce waste, diversify revenue opportunities and support more sustainable agricultural practices.