Our objective is to recover legume by-products through the extraction of proteins and fibre that will be used as a raw material in the development of packaging materials and bioplastics for agricultural use. The key is to obtain more sustainable and renewable sources for the plastics industry.
“TECNALIA is investigating the recovery of legume by-products for the production of biodegradable plastics.”
TECNALIA is participating in the Leguval initiative for the development of coatings based on plant by-products
Recovery of vegetable remains
Tonnes of waste from the production of legumes in Europe are discarded. This leads to costs for the food industry and a negative impact on the environment. Furthermore, the need to comply with existing environmental legislation has resulted in a high market demand for environmentally friendly materials and new alternative energy sources.
By-products from the legume processing industry such as peas, beans, lentils, etc., are being used as raw material for the development of plastics for packaging and agricultural applications.
This strategy will bring added value to crops through the re-use of by-products, which are currently used only as animal feed or fertilizer.
