FROM WASTE TO WONDER: EVALUATING THE PERCEIVED EFFICACY OF DRAGON FRUIT PEELS IN HIGHLIGHTER PRODUCTION

Abstract

This study investigates the viability of utilizing dragon fruit peels—an often discarded agricultural byproduct—as a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to traditional highlighter ink. Through purposive sampling, feedback was collected from teachers and fourth-year BS Entrepreneurship students. The findings revealed a significant difference in the evaluations of the two groups, particularly in terms of the ink’s perceived effectiveness, environmental sustainability, and texture. These results highlight the potential of repurposing agricultural waste while also emphasizing the need for further refinement based on user feedback. The researchers adopted a descriptive-experimental research design and employed a survey questionnaire alongside purposive sampling to collect relevant data. The study involved a total of twenty respondents, comprising ten teachers and ten fourth-year BS Entrepreneurship students, all of whom were selected based on their direct relevance and contribution to the objectives of the research. The results of the study reflect the assessments of two respondent groups—teachers and fourth-year BS Entrepreneurship students—regarding the perceived efficacy of dragon fruit peels as a component in highlighter production, evaluated in terms of effectiveness, sustainability, and texture. In terms of effectiveness, the highlighter was noted to produce a vibrant and noticeable color on paper. For sustainability, respondents recognized that the ink formulation does not contain harmful chemicals, making it environmentally friendly. Regarding texture, the ink was observed to adhere smoothly across different types of paper.  The overall weighted mean score from the teachers was 3.453, while the students reported a slightly higher mean of 3.767. A t-computed value of 2.207 was obtained, with 29 degrees of freedom and a significance level (α) of 0.05. Given that the t-computed value exceeded the t-critical value of 2.045, the null hypothesis was rejected. This indicates a statistically significant difference in the evaluations of the two groups concerning the highlighter’s effectiveness, sustainability, and texture.  It is also noted that while the respondents were equally distributed by occupation (50% teachers and 50% students), there was an unequal distribution in terms of sex. Based on the findings, the researchers recommend the potential commercialization of highlighter pens formulated with dragon fruit peel extracts. A significant majority of the respondents expressed strong agreement regarding the highlighter’s efficacy, particularly in terms of effectiveness, producing vibrant and visible markings, sustainability, being free from harmful chemicals and environmentally friendly, and texture, offering smooth application across various paper types. To further improve the product's quality and user experience, future research and development efforts are encouraged, specifically focusing on enhancing the consistency, formulation stability, and overall composition of the ink.