Plastic has been reported as one of the main contributors to marine pollution. Attempts have been made to produce starch-based hydro-degradable materials as an alternative to plastic. However, the poor mechanical strength of starch films limits their real-life applications. The objective of this study is to explore the potential of using empty fruit bunch (EFB) in the formulation of hydro-degradable materials. The properties of EFB films produced from varying concentrations of cellulose were evaluated based on tensile strength, water uptake and morphology. Nanocrystalline cellulose with an average size of 15.29 ± 3.906 nm was successfully extracted from EFB. The highest tensile strength of ~6.55 ± 1.15 MPa was observed in the EFB film, which consisted of 30% of nanocrystalline cellulose. Additionally, approximately 90% water uptake was recorded for EFB films, despite the dense structure of the EFB film at high cellulose content. EFB films support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) because the EFB film utilises biomass as a source of cellulose, their hydro-degradability minimises marine debris such as plastic and they provide an environmentally friendly solution. Future studies could investigate the optimal humidity levels to ensure the desired durability of sustainable EFB films for packaging and edible film applications.