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Conversion of Fruit and Vegetable Waste into Sustainable and Value-Added...
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Conversion of Fruit and Vegetable Waste into Sustainable and Value-Added Materials

A special issue of Waste (ISSN 2813-0391).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2024) | Viewed by 8115

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Raluca Nicoleta Darie-Nita

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Petru Poni Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Grigore Ghica Voda Alley 41A, 700487 Iasi, Romania
Interests: reactive processing (natural and synthetic polymers); physico-chemical characterization of polymers and composites (rheological, mechanical, thermal, and surface properties); biodegradable polymers; applications of bio-based materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Maria Râpă

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Material Sciences and Engineering, Politehnica University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
Interests: biodegradable polymers; polymer processing technologies; characterization; applications of bio-based materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Due to the increasing world population and, therefore, the consumption of resources, the societal challenge of climate action, and the diminishing resources and raw materials in the environment, we must find innovative solutions for the development of new materials with high-value functionalities compared to conventional ones, in terms of environmental compliance and well-being.

In recent years, fruit and vegetable waste has been of significant interest due to its specific features: biodegradability, abundance, renewability, valuable compounds, and relatively low cost. Thus, it is simultaneously beneficial both for reducing environmental pollution and increasing economic value.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to identify how best to valorize the useful bioactive compounds and residues from fruit and vegetable waste, such as cereal, grape or olive pomace, husk, peel, the rind and seeds of fruits, medicinal and aromatic plant waste, etc., based on their valuable chemical compositions and multifunctional properties, and transform them into value-added materials for food, medicine, cosmetics, energy, agriculture applications, etc. The creation of new sustainable products requires adequate protocols for the extraction of bioactive compounds, nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and fibres, as well as characterization methods and eco-efficient technologies to minimize CO2 emissions, together with the use of biodegradable polymers and knowledge on the impact of testing new value-added materials.

We kindly invite scientific researchers to contribute original papers and reviews related to innovative solutions for reducing the negative impact of inappropriate fruit and vegetable waste management.

Dr. Raluca Nicoleta Darie-Niță
Dr. Maria Râpă
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Waste is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • vegetable waste
  • food waste
  • eco-friendly technology
  • circular economy
  • biofuel
  • packaging
  • fertilizer
  • composting
  • medical applications

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 2550 KiB  
Article
Acceleration of Composting by Addition of Clinker to Tea Leaf Compost
by Nobuki Morita, Yo Toma and Hideto Ueno
Waste 2024, 2(1), 72-84; https://doi.org/10.3390/waste2010004 - 1 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1362
Abstract
The disposal of tea leaves discarded in the tea beverage market and clinker from coal-fired power plants has an impact on the environment; however, there are no reported cases of their combination for composting. Therefore, this study evaluated the effect of adding clinker [...] Read more.
The disposal of tea leaves discarded in the tea beverage market and clinker from coal-fired power plants has an impact on the environment; however, there are no reported cases of their combination for composting. Therefore, this study evaluated the effect of adding clinker from a coal-fired power plant to compost based on tea leaves, an organic waste product, on the composting rate and quality. The tea leaves-only compost was designated as Clinker 0%, and composts with 20% (w/w), 40% (w/w), and 60% (w/w) tea leaves supplemented with clinker were designated as Clinker 20, 40, and 60%, respectively. Each mixed material was placed in a 35 L polypropylene container with a lid and allowed to compost for 95 days. The composting rate was evaluated by the chemical oxygen demand (COD) in hot water extract and plant tests using juvenile komatsuna (Brassica rapa var. perviridis). The addition of clinker reduced the COD at the beginning of composting by 52.0, 74.3, and 86.7% in Clinker 20, 40, and 60%, respectively, compared to Clinker 0%. Furthermore, root elongation one month after composting was inhibited by Clinker 0% (60.1% relative to distilled water), but not by the addition of clinker (91.7–102.7% relative to distilled water). This suggests that the addition of clinker to tea leaf compost may accelerate composting. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conversion of Fruit and Vegetable Waste into Sustainable and Value-Added Materials)
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14 pages, 1857 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Exploitation of Waste Orange Peels: Enrichment of Commercial Seed Oils and the Effect on Their Oxidative Stability
by Dimitris Kalompatsios, Vassilis Athanasiadis, Theodoros Chatzimitakos, Dimitrios Palaiogiannis, Stavros I. Lalas and Dimitris P. Makris
Waste 2023, 1(3), 761-774; https://doi.org/10.3390/waste1030045 - 2 Sep 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2070
Abstract
The current project aimed at examining the effect of the enrichment of commercial seed oils with waste orange peel (WOP) extracts on their polyphenolic profiles and resistance against oxidation. Polyphenol-containing WOP extracts were produced using a novel combination of ethanol and triacetin, and [...] Read more.
The current project aimed at examining the effect of the enrichment of commercial seed oils with waste orange peel (WOP) extracts on their polyphenolic profiles and resistance against oxidation. Polyphenol-containing WOP extracts were produced using a novel combination of ethanol and triacetin, and they were incorporated into seed oils (sunflower, soybean, corn oil), at a level of 36.87 mg per kg of oil. The oils were then stored at 60 °C, for 58 days. By performing a Rancimat test, it was shown that enrichment of sunflower, soybean, and corn oils with WOP extracts did not provoke any prooxidant effects, but, to the contrary, exerted an antioxidant action, with protection factors varying from 1.01 to 1.61. Furthermore, in all cases examined, it was demonstrated that, during the storage period, the stabilizing effect of WOP extract against oxidation was comparable to that observed in oil samples containing 200 mg BHT per kg oil. This outcome was ascertained by measuring the onset of peroxide value, thiobarbituric-acid-reactive substances, and the TOTOX value. Furthermore, it was revealed that the Trolox-equivalent antiradical activity of the enriched oils exhibited a decline at the end of the examination period, a fact most probably attributed to the depletion of the antioxidants occurring in the oils. It was concluded that the method proposed might be a means of stabilizing commercial seed oils against oxidation, and of enhancing their nutritional value by enriching them with natural polyphenols. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conversion of Fruit and Vegetable Waste into Sustainable and Value-Added Materials)
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Review

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21 pages, 1305 KiB  
Review
Valorization of Fruit and Vegetable Waste into Sustainable and Value-Added Materials
by Maria Râpă, Raluca Nicoleta Darie-Niță and George Coman
Waste 2024, 2(3), 258-278; https://doi.org/10.3390/waste2030015 - 27 Jul 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3565
Abstract
This review aims to streamline the approach to assessing the most used valorization methods for fruit and vegetable waste (FVW) that are eco-friendly, cost-effective, and sustainable within a circular economy framework. Green processing technologies for the extraction of bioactive compounds from FVW, their [...] Read more.
This review aims to streamline the approach to assessing the most used valorization methods for fruit and vegetable waste (FVW) that are eco-friendly, cost-effective, and sustainable within a circular economy framework. Green processing technologies for the extraction of bioactive compounds from FVW, their applications, and the technico-economical assessment of FVW’ biorefinery to support circular economy are highlighted. Important value-added products generated by FVW include bioactive compounds, pectin, protein isolates, such as soy, natural pigments such as anthocyanins, quinones, carotenoids, betalains, and chlorophyll. At this time, the prospects of using FVW have increased in the food supplements, bioactive and edible food packaging, agriculture, energy, and water purification fields. The findings report that proper management of FVW not only minimizes their addition to landfills in the absence of composting, but also promotes the efficient utilization of resources for the development of innovative materials with a wide range of beneficial applications. Implementing the possible solutions described in this paper would not only reduce environmental impact, but also open up new economic opportunities through the valorization of FVW. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conversion of Fruit and Vegetable Waste into Sustainable and Value-Added Materials)
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