WasteBridge aims to bridge the existing gaps toward ‘zero waste’ production in the fruit and vegetable processing industry (FVPI). The whole waste produced at plant “ZDRAVO”, a chosen representative company of Serbian FVPI, will be transformed by dehydration and slow pyrolysis at the small-scale industrial level into two types of stable powders, anti-grain flour (AGF) and biochar applicable in food and soil enrichment, respectively.
The main project goal is to propose an innovative concept for total waste utilization at a case study level. The potential economic, environmental and social impact of concept adoption will be identified in order to support a transition towards a circular economy. Fiber-dense AGF will be obtained by dehydration of minimally processed perishable waste. Further enhancement of AGF functional properties will be achieved by fluid bed granulation.
The possibility to develop fiber-dense, low sugar/dietary fiber ratio and glycemic index food based on AGF and AGF granulates will be demonstrated. In parallel, biochar that fulfills the requirements of the European Biochar Certificate and International Biochar Initiative will be produced by slow pyrolysis of remaining, indigestible or highly processed biomass. In order to produce slow-release fertilizer (SRF) which will improve environment quality through phosphate binding and green soil enrichment, chemical modifications of biochar with chosen metals will be performed. Pristine and modified biochar will be further investigated in real conditions (germination and plant growth assays), resulting in data which will confirm the applicability of the newly created SRF.
This innovative concept designed to support the ‘zero waste’ and ‘waste to wealth’ approach will be justified by employing cost-benefit and material flow/life cycle analyses and data collected from the representative part of Serbian FVPIs. Expected WasteBridge outcomes unite economic and health benefits with environmental protection.
