Trash to Treasure: Researchers Transform Food Waste Into Eco-Friendly Plastic

Researchers have developed a way to convert food waste into biodegradable plastic, which offers a potential solution to two major environmental issues: food waste and plastic pollution.

A team of researchers at Binghamton University fed Cupriavidus necator bacteria with lactic acid fermented from food waste and ammonium sulfate as a nitrogen source. 

The bacteria synthesise polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) plastic, which can be harvested and shaped into biodegradable packaging and products.

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The study, recently published in the journal Bioresource Technology, was led by Tianzheng Liu. He received support from Professor Sha Jin and SUNY Distinguished Professor and Chair Kaiming Ye from the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science's Department of Biomedical Engineering.

"Being published quickly speaks to the importance of this research," Jin said. "The reviewers commented that 'the manuscript demonstrates significant scientific merit, novelty and environmental relevance.'"

"We can utilize food waste as a resource to convert into so many industrial products, and biodegradable polymers are just one of them," she said. "We're aiming not only to valorize food waste but also to reduce the manufacturing cost of this eco-friendly polymer. There are also different options, like generating biofuels and biochemicals."

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The bioconversion process can utilise food waste stored for at least a week without adverse effects, and it doesn't depend on specific food types. The solid residue left over from fermentation can be repurposed as organic fertiliser.

The US Department of Agriculture revealed that 30% to 40% of America's food supply ends up being wasted, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. The latest research could help reduce waste and provide a sustainable alternative to traditional plastics.

The researchers are looking forward to scaling up the process and exploring potential industrial partnerships to make biodegradable plastic production more efficient and cost-effective.