Discovering a Friendly Way to Deal with Industrial Plant Waste
Most people don’t think twice about disposing of fruit and vegetable waste. In fact, having a compost pile in your yard can be a great way to get rid of many types of organic material, with the added benefit of having a ready supply of soil for your garden.
However, on a much larger scale fruit and vegetable waste is not so easily disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner.
The Size of the Problem
To give you an idea of how much fruit and vegetable waste is created everyday, at Mercabarna, which is the main distribution point for fruits, vegetables, and meats in Barcelona Spain, almost 100 tons of Fruit and Vegetable Waste is created everyday.
In India, over 15,500 Tons of Fruit and Vegetable Waste is created everyday and most of this waste is simply dumped in a landfill.
Where Plant Waste Usually Ends Up
One of the reasons that fruit and vegetable waste usually ends up in a landfill is that most other disposal methods require that the waste is treated first. So, loading the waste into a landfill is the easiest and quickest method of getting rid of it. It is also not uncommon for the waste to be incinerated, which releases dangerous chemicals into the atmosphere.
Unfortunately as is often the case, the easiest way is not the most environmentally way.
In fact, even though plants are organic, there are many types of fruit and vegetable waste, such as those produced from olive mills, which do not break down naturally.
Since the industries that produce and process fruits and vegetables are so often guilty of inefficient processing methods, which create a good deal of pollution, it is imperative to find ways to dispose of fruit and vegetable waste in a way that does not hurt the environment.
Recycle, Reduce, Reuse
One of the most important ways of controlling the amount of fruit and vegetable waste that ends up in the landfill is to find uses for as many of the byproducts created during production as possible.
All too often, once the actual product is created, whether it is fruit juice, olive oil, or nuts, all of the byproducts are simply discarded. There are, however, quite literally thousands of ways that these byproducts could actually be used.
For example, in Mediterranean areas, the almond represents one of the biggest cash crops. This is in large part because almond trees can be grown easily in areas where other crops would not flourish. When the almonds are harvested, the shells are usually burned.
However, instead of simply incinerating the almond shells, it is possible to grind them up and use them as a soil-less growing medium.
In fact, tomatoes have been shown to be very responsive to this type growing medium, which is less expensive than rock wool and since it could be produced locally, would reduce transportation emissions. There would also be a commercial market for this product and it could be used in places where the soil is of poor quality.
It is also possible to reuse plant waste to create flavorings, natural insecticides, colorings, cooking ingredients, and even dietary supplements. These types of substances are called phytochemicals and can be made from the pomace of many types of fruits and vegetables. Pomace, which is the part of the fruit or vegetable that is left over after it has been squeezed for juice, is often discarded.
For instance, olive pomace, which is not very biodegradable, can be used to prevent the spread of nematodes on tomatoes.
Citrus pomace is another great example and has been shown to be an effective ant-fungicide, crop insect repellent, and baking product.
There are a number of other ways that pomace from most types of fruits and vegetables, such as apples, carrots, mangoes, and grapes, can be used in baked goods, as a stabilizer, or as a source of protein and fiber in diet foods.
Discovering a Green Way to Use Plant Waste
While today, many industries simply dispose of the byproducts created during the production cycle, this is neither good for the environment, nor is it a sustainable behavior if we are to preserve the Earth for the future generations.
Instead, finding ways to recycle and reuse these kinds of waste products is essential and is also often quite profitable.
About the Author
Tiger is the chief editor and contributor at mobilitytiger.com, which is a site that offers information on a number of health and medical topics. The diabetes resource center at Tiger’s site offers regularly updated information and news events that relate to diabetes mellitus, which is an endocrine disease that is found in millions of people every year.
Comments
-
June 23rd, 2009
-
June 23rd, 2009
Great article again. I know my home town just started a recycle program to pick up organic waste. These are all small steps to a much larger problem.
This is really some great advice because I think that most of us thing first of saving money and purchase the cheaper item. I do completely agree with you that you will save in the long run if you purchase the higher priced but quality item. Thanks for the article.
Industrial plant waste is the big problem. We must try to find out how to recycle this waste to the useful product. Or maybe can made to compost.