59 million tons of food are wasted annually in the EU. About 30% of this waste is generated during cultivation and processing, resulting in the accumulation of losses, residues and by-products (post-harvest plant biomass, pulps, peels, manure, whey, etc.). These types of feedstocks, due to their high potential, could be reused or recycled as substrates in new value chains

Rosa Doménech, Enrique Cubas and Mar Tronch – ITENE

 

To address this issue, the European Commission has set several goals for 2030 within the framework of the Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC), the Circular Economy Action Plan, and the Farm to Fork Strategy. One of the main objectives of these policies is to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills to 10%.

 

 

As an alternative, the circular economy model aims to economically valorize this type of residues and by-products, resulting in high value-added products, such as biodegradable materials. In this regard, the European Plastics Strategy emphasizes the need to develop bio-based, biodegradable, and compostable plastics as alternatives to conventional plastics, while...READING MORE AT https://www.infopack.es/revista/316/index58.html