In the quest for a cleaner environment, waste materials can be
re-used as reinforcement in engineering composites [8]. This has intensified application of most common plant fibers hemp, kenaf,
flax, jute, sisal and abaca as reinforcement of automotive composites
for secondary components that don't demand high mechanical
strength [9e15].
Uganda is a tropical country endowed with vast resources of
natural plant fibers [16]. In order to evaluate the sustainability of
plant fibers such as bark cloth for composite applications, it's worth
mentioning that it is of utmost importance to utilize non-food
crops and regulate quantity of fertilizers or chemicals utilized for
growing the crops. The life cycle analysis of fibers has shown that
ligno-cellulosic fibers have an edge in terms environmental
friendliness [17].