Creating Plastics from Day-Old Pastries

Aug-23-12 A new biorefinery technology able to transform coffee grounds and day-old pastries into plastics and cleaning products could potentially reduce food waste, save energy, and free up space for food crops.

Part of a joint effort between the Hong Kong-based Climate Group and Starbucks, the new biorefinery technology involves blending the foods with a combination of fungi, which excrete enzymes that break down the carbohydrates into simple sugars. Afterward, the mixture is sent to a fermenting vat where the Actinobacillus succinogenes bacteria convert the sugars to succinic acid, which can then be used in products such a medicines and plastics.

Each year, the Hong Kong Starbucks alone create about 5000 tons of food waste and coffee grounds.

Image: SP Veres

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