Global food waste is a demanding and multifaceted issue. At all stages in the global food supply chain some food is wasted. Consumers, distributors and producers are beginning to become more aware of the impact that food waste has on the planet. Food redistribution schemes are becoming increasingly prevalent as the deadline to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 draws nearer. However, there will always be some food that cannot be eaten. But there is a lot of value from waste streams to be leveraged. 

This food waste is increasingly being utilised to create biogas for energy recovery, which lifts the pressure off petrochemicals, but does not highlight the true chemical potential of the things we throw away. Potato peelings can purify contaminated water, lobster shells can create medical dressings, and stale bread can be processed into renewable polymers.

This report will show some of the work sustainable chemists and biotechnologists around the world to unlock the chemical potential and monetary value of edible and inedible food waste. You can get access to the full report here.

To learn more about how food waste challenges can be addressed and how you can extract value from waste streams, please check out our knowledge to action courses here.