Human beings produce 290 million tonnes of plastic waste every year. At the same time, in Europe alone we produce about 28 million tonnes of fruit and vegetable scraps.
The solution is to make plastic from fruit and vegetable scraps!
The Smart Materials research team at IstitutoItaliano di Tecnologia (IIT), working in partnership with SocietàGestioneMercato di Genova and Confcommercio Genova, has developed a circular economy project that will allow unsold produce to be converted into 100% biodegradable plastic for creation of sustainable fruit and vegetable packaging.