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Summary Rice straw contains cellulose as its main carbohydrate component, which is the major constituent for making rice straw paper as an alternative use of the residue. The objectives of this study were to determine a rice straw paper-making process incorporating activated carbon (AC) and the effect of AC and the glucomannan (GLU) content on the physical and mechanical properties, including the ethylene adsorption capacity of rice straw paper containing AC. The results showed that AC was an effective ethylene scavenger, and it was possible to incorporate it into the rice straw paper-making process. Increasing the AC content increased the ethylene adsorption capacity but decreased the strength of the AC-rice straw paper. GLU maintained the strength of the rice straw paper but did not affect the ethylene adsorption capacity. Incorporation of 30% AC content with 0.3% GLU in the AC-rice straw paper produced the maximum level of ethylene scavenging (77%). Moreover, AC-rice straw paper is an environmentally friendly material owing to its reusability, and it has the potential for applications in food and agricultural packaging because it can act as an ethylene scavenger and also provide protection against mechanical damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]