Springer Biobased Products from Food Sector Waste: Bioplastics, Biocomposites, and Biocascading

Food waste represents 14% of the food produced globally. An increased demand for waste upcycling by consumers, environmentalists, and policymakers has prompted the food industry to become more efficient in its handling of waste. In the past, food waste has been used to produce biogas and biofuels, fertilizers, and animal feed. Using it as a feedstock for innovative biorefineries is not only an ethical issue but also a smart application of the circular economy. Biobased products from food sector waste: Bioplastics, biocomposites, and biocascading explores the zero-waste concept in the thriving biobased sector, proposing technologies and procedures to meet the sustainable development goals. The current state of the art of food waste valorization and its conversion into high-priced outputs are discussed. The volume categorizes food waste sources and proposes an impressive number of high value-added compounds (e.g., platform chemicals, enzymes, nutraceuticals, antioxidants, organic acids, phosphate, bioadsorbents, pectin, solvents, and pigments) that can be obtained at different scale-up levels, in a sequential biocascade, via chemical, biochemical, thermal, and physical technologies. The synthesis of bioplastics from food waste, their copolymerization and blending, as well as the production of biocomposites and bionanocomposite with biofillers from food scraps, are presented: eluding the cost of waste disposal, reducing biobased materials price, and avoiding using edible resources as a starting material for biobased items are the main beneficial peculiarities of the process. The Authors illustrate challenging characteristics of new biobased materials, such as their mechanical and physico-chemical features, their biodegradability, compostability, recyclability, chemical compatibility, and barrier properties.  The volume also delves into socioeconomic considerations and environmental concerns related to the upcycling of food waste, as well as the safety and life cycle assessment of biobased products. Finally, the authors address how advances in digital technology can make food waste upcycling a negative-cost process and discuss best practices to practically implement the biorefinery concept. Research gaps and needs are suggested, and recommendations for food waste handling and management during this COVID-19 pandemic are provided. From the Back Cover An increased demand for waste upcycling has prompted the food industry to become more efficient in its handling of waste. Efficient utilization of food waste is of concern to consumers, environmentalists, and policy makers. In the past, food waste has been used for the production of bio-gas and bio-fuels, fertilizers and animal feed.  Biobased products from food sector waste: Bioplastics, biocomposites, and biocascading proposes an innovative use of food waste―as filler in a bioplastic matrix. The upcycling of food industry waste to produce new composites has a number of beneficial features, including (i) avoiding the cost of waste disposal; (ii) reducing bio-based composites price; (iii) avoiding using edible resources as a starting material for bio-based composites (to eliminate competition between biomass use for food, feed, and material use); (iv) producing a non-food bio-based output different from existing outputs (bio-fuels or bio-energy). The production of value-added items supports the development of a circular and sustainable economy in a thriving bio-based sector via the emergence of food value chains. The authors explore the safety of bio-based products. Using an evidence-based approach, they detail the volatile profile of biobased products and underline the absence of priority air pollutants released by fossil plastics, which pose a significant public health threat. The volume also delves into socioeconomic considerations and environmental concerns related to the upcycling of food by-products. Finally, the authors address how