WASTE2FUNC will build a logistic platform to collect the agricultural and food waste and will demonstrate the conversion technology at large scale . ”
The first challenge is the establishment of the logistic platform allowing efficient collection of food waste streams without end use . To this end , the project will develop a registration website / app that can be used to register food waste flows from the agriculture and food industry for collection by a waste collector . Farmers will be intensively consulted on how the project can make the collection of such food wastes worthwhile for them and what compensation should be given in return and thus look into a new revenue model for farmers . In addition , consultations will be held about the availability of these waste streams , both among farmers and the ( food ) industry .
Twelve partners from five countries including several SMEs and three large industries are involved to convert the collected waste into functional molecules to be applied in market products . Sofie Lodens explains : “ TripleW already started their lactic acid production batches in their demonstration plant on the site of Group Op de Beeck in Kallo , Belgium . Ghent University and Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant recently established the spin-off company “ Amphi-star ” to bring their technology for the production of microbial biosurfactants to the market .” The functional ingredients produced within the project , will then be tested and evaluated in end products by large companies such as Evonik , Croda and Ecover .
The ultimate goal at the end of the project is to understand the potential of establishing a biorefinery in which functional molecules can be made from all this collected food waste in a sustainable and economically profitable way . These functional molecules can subsequently be used as building blocks for bioplastics and as ingredients in cosmetics , in biological detergents and in numerous other applications . WASTE2FUNC will contribute to a more sustainable industry by using renewable resources and by its circular approach .
This will decrease CO2 emissions by at least 20 % compared to the current production processes of these molecules and increase value from waste 2-10 fold and create ( high-tech ) jobs for the primary and downstream sector in Belgium and Europe .
www . waste2func . eu / en /
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