That world is closer than we may think. To prove that, COST Action EUBis is connecting industry and research across Europe in search for new ways to process the food we waste, producing safe and environmentally friendly chemicals.
Going green about food waste
About a third of the food we buy globally is wasted. Decomposing food waste generates methane, a gas used to generate electricity. Still, methane is a pollutant greenhouse gas, which is why food waste landfills are burnt in order to avoid pollution. But new, profitable food waste processing methods have emerged all over Europe, also capitalising on – for instance – methane’s energy-producing properties to heat up homes and businesses with zero emissions.
Innovation’s valley of death
Despite their obvious gains, all too many emerging technologies often fail to reach the market because of scarce financial support and poor communication between industry and research.
This is where COST Action EUBis is already making an impact. An idea born at the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence (GCCE), University of York, EUBisis a pan-European network comprising of experts from 32 European countries. It’s also open to the world, Hong Kong and Argentina participating as International Partner Countries.
Looking at the full picture, the need for such coordination is clear – national, regional or local projects grow or end up isolated because turning food waste into biofuels and new biomaterials requires a large array of expertise. For instance, biologists and food scientists need to exchange knowledge in order to improve food waste processes and go beyond the existing technology to produce new chemicals. This is why economists, lawyers, chemical engineers, biotechnologists, policy experts, food scientists and and environmental scientists have teamed up to get the conversation going between research and industry, while seeking possible funding. The network is now a group of 8 SMEs and 13 industry partners from 10 European countries.
What’s in it for EU citizens? EUBis at Expo Milan 2015
The network took to Expo 2015 in Milan to have participating SMEs explain the innovations behind food waste processing. The main “take-home” idea: the 3 billion tonnes of food waste we produce worldwide are enough to replace any chemicals on the market. The challenge lies in having environmentally friendly processing methods.
The SMEs also pointed out food waste from one industry could benefit other industries. For example, companies in the Netherlands are transforming milk and cheese wastewaters into fertilisers or even food nutrients or dietary supplements. Vaccines from citrus peels, as well as cancer and tumour treatments from artichoke and pomegranate are being licensed by the medical industry. Artichoke hearts coated in waste-derived pectin – a natural substance found in berries or apples – can last for 24 days in the fridge, which increases shelf life.
There were SMEs whose main business was to help other companies optimise their food waste valorisation solutions – from waste to product, dealing with infrastructure costs, simplifying transportation and storage, patenting and dealing with local market behaviours. More often than not, getting a product on the market means customers first have to accept the product is the safer, more environmentally friendly alternative. This is why efficient consumer communication is vital.
Mapping the way forward
By organising conferences, scientific exchanges and training schools, the network is connecting existing SME-driven technologies in order to up their market uptake chances. Their first step in doing so is mapping food waste potential and processing techniques across Europe. The team is using EUROSTAT data on food production rates and process flow charts for processed food for a first overview of the waste produced during manufacturing. “ So far, we’ve learnt about the highest volume wastes and their geographical location – for instance, the highest volume waste EU-wide comes from sugar processing, followed by cheese and fruit juices “, said Action Chair prof. James Clark.
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~”Our goal is a map of agricultural residue data, hopefully plugging gaps with industrial data per country in future projects”, Prof. James Clark
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EUBis is expected to present an overview of its main results by the end of next year.