Design – based research in sustainable bag with insulation made from coconut husk: assessing practicality and environmental benefits among fsm students/ Avril Lei V. Llave, Eliza Mae N. Manalo, Alyssa A. Masola, Hannah Michelle A. Rosales, and Sara Mae Veloria.--

Bachelor's thesis

College Of Industrial Education.--
Bachelor of technical vocational teacher – education major in food and service management: Technological University of the Philippines,
2025.

Includes bibliographic references and index.

The Food and Service Management students face challenges with the natural
wastes, like coconut husk fibers, which are usually thrown away and just getting
the coconut meat and coconut milk/water. This study aimed to design, develop and
evaluate sustainable bags with insulation made from coconut husk and assess
their practicality and environmental benefits. The data used a purposive
sampling to select 1st to 4th year Food and Service Management students with the
total of 72 respondents and used Semi-structured. The study used Design Based
Research to guide the development of the said product, including four
phases. Phase (1) Problem Identification and Exploration. The study revealed the
theme prior knowledge of coconut husk, perceptions of sustainable bags with
insulation made from coconut husk, Challenges in Utilizing Biodegradable
bags, environmental impact of using these biodegradable bags, noting that they
help reduce plastic waste and contribute to decreased pollution, aligning with
broader sustainability goals. Phase (2) Design and
Development emphasized functionality, practicality, durability and
strength, highlighting several key design features and practicality for carrying
various items. The need to address issues of performance, cost, and consumer
awareness. The Phase (3) Iterative testing and Refinement Both FSM students
and teachers suggested to improve the product by putting insulator into the bag
itself showed interest in the versatility of the bags, proposing that they could also
be used as temporary plant pots. Finally, Phase (4) Synthesis of Design

Principles evaluates the bags' performance in They generally agreed that these
bags could hold heavy items without breaking and were suitable for packaging

food in real-world applications, focusing on durability, flexibility, and eco-
friendliness. The findings revealed FSM students have a foundational

understanding of coconut husk and its ecological benefits, favor features like
practicality, size variations and functional design elements, illustrated areas
requiring improvement in durability and functionality and exhibit significant
practicality and environmental benefits. Suggesting conducting further research to
explore additional uses for coconut husk beyond bags. Investigating its potential
in packaging and other eco-friendly products can maximize the benefits of this
renewable resource.