Most polymeric materials are synthetic and derived from petroleum, hence they accumulate in landfills or the ocean, and recent studies have focused on alternatives to replace them with biodegradable materials from renewable sources. Biodegradable wastes from food and agroindustry, such as spent coffee grounds (SCGs), are annually discarded on a large scale and are rich in organic compounds, such as polysaccharides, that could be used as precursors to produce films. Around 6.5 million tons of SCGs are discarded every year, generating an environmental problem around the world. Therefore, it was the aim of this work to develop films from the SCGs polysaccharide fraction, which is comprised of cellulose, galactomannans and arabinogalactans. Two types of crosslinking were performed: the first forming coordination bonds of calcium ions with polysaccharides; and the second through covalent bonds with 1,4-phenylenediboronic acid (PDBA). The films with Ca²⁺ ions exhibited a greater barrier to water vapor with a reduction of 44% of water permeability vapor and 26% greater tensile strength than the control film (without crosslinkers). Films crosslinked with PDBA presented 55–81% higher moisture contents, 85–125% greater permeability to water vapor and 67–150% larger elongations at break than the films with Ca²⁺ ions. Film biodegradability was demonstrated to be affected by the crosslinking density, with the higher the crosslinking density, the longer the time for the film to fully biodegrade. The results are promising and suggest that future research should focus on enhancing the properties of these films to expand the range of possible applications.

Natural polysaccharides are among the renewable sources with great potential for replacing petroleum-derived chemicals as precursors to produce biodegradable films. This study aimed to prepare biopolymeric films using starch extracted from the periderm and cortex of cassava roots (waste from cassava root processing), locust bean galactomannan, and cellulose nanofibers also obtained from cassava waste. The films were prepared by casting, and their physicochemical, mechanical, and biodegradability properties were evaluated. The content of cellulose nanofibers varied from 0.5 to 2.5%. Although the addition of cellulose nanofibers did not alter the mechanical properties of the films, it significantly enhanced the vapor barrier of the films (0.055 g mm/m² h kPa–2.5% nanofibers) and their respective stabilities in aqueous acidic and alkaline media. All prepared films were biodegradable, with complete degradation occurring within five days. The prepared films were deemed promising alternatives for minimizing environmental impacts caused by the disposal of petroleum-derived materials.