Brilio.net/en - This is a fact: a third of the food destined for human consumption ends up in the trash. We are producing massive quantities of food, and what remains of it is usually wasted and only continues to increase year after year. Instead of producing new materials, researchers and engineers are trying to find smart ways to use those waste in every possible way. Here are a few examples:
1. Coffee grounds to build roads
Image byalamy stock photo
Australian engineers of the University of Swinburne have found the perfect way to reduce waste and create a new green construction material! Their article was published in the Construction and Building materials magazine states that coffee grounds, donated by the tonnes from coffee shops could actually be used to build up to 5km of roads per year.
2. Salmon skin to make wallets
Even if they are organic wastes, the huge quantities of fish parts that are not going to be eaten (the head, the tail, the skin, etc.) represents still huge amounts of waste that end up directly in the ocean and that disrupt the oceanic balance. The idea was thus to find a second way to use that waste and it turns out that salmon skin is particularly thick and malleable, which makes it perfect for tannery purposes. And in case you were wondering, the wallets created by the brand Tidal Vision do not smell like fish at all, since like any process to treat animal skins, the natural oils are replaced.
3. Old tomatoes to power electricity
Image viawww.ibtimes.co.uk
A team of researchers came out with a new potential source of power: tomato waste! They developed a special kind of battery, creating energy thanks to living bacterium that can be massively found in old tomatoes! This system called organic fuel cell is so far powerful enough to produce 0,3 watts of electricity, but researchers are confident that the quantity will increase in the near future.
4. Flour made out of apple waste
Image viabakeryandsnacks
On top of being made out of recycled products and thus good for the environment, the Ample Apple flour tastes delicious! Full of fibres, vitamins and proteins, it is made by products mainly coming from the juice factory. It presents the same characteristics as wheat flour, and can thus be used in many different forms of food preparation! The final research is being undertaken in order to commercialize the products soon!
(brl/red)
