Turning Orange, Grape Wastes into Sustainable Products

Date: 17 June 2021

Country: Italy

Application

• Creating sustainable, high-value materials from organic waste for fashion, textiles, and packaging.
• Reducing environmental impact by recycling food and agricultural by-products into eco-friendly products.

Description

This project explores innovative ways to transform organic waste into high-value products, promoting a circular bioeconomy. Examples include creating fabrics from orange peels, leather from grape by-products, and paper from pasta residue. These processes not only reduce waste but also create sustainable alternatives to conventional materials, benefiting various industries like fashion and packaging. It highlights the potential of using discarded food and agricultural by-products for creating eco-friendly products.

Pathway Description:

The Orange Fiber project involves collecting citrus waste, primarily orange peels, and extracting cellulose from them. The peels are broken down to isolate the cellulose fibers, which are then spun into a fine yarn using a wet-spinning technique. This yarn is woven into a sustainable textile fabric, which is used in fashion collections. The process provides an eco-friendly alternative to traditional fabrics, turning waste into a valuable resource while reducing environmental impact.