The objective of the Agropack innovation project, which is financed with funds from the European Community and the Autonomous Community of Murcia, is to develop bio-packaging with plastic materials made from the by-products of peach and other stone fruits. The project is in its second year of research and the Plastics Technology Center (Andaltec) has had successful results.
This initiative aims to put sustainable packaging (boxes, bags, containers) on the market while reducing waste and giving an economically profitable use to peach waste, as nearly 30% of the production has to be withdrawn because it is not suitable for marketing in the Region of Murcia, which is the largest producer in Europe.
Researchers have been pulverizing the peach pits to integrate them with a polymer to obtain an optimal raw material that can be used to manufacture bio-containers.
The Agropack project would allow stone fruit producers to solve one of the most important problems this sector faces. The goal is for the processors of this raw material to be able to bear the costs of transporting and storing the waste, as they will obtain a profit from it once it is transformed.
Throughout this project, Andaltec researchers will determine the methodologies for the revaluation of peaches, other stone fruits, and their by-products that allow obtaining high value-added products that can be used to manufacture packages. This will allow them to generate the raw material for the manufacture of packaging products that are suitable for use throughout the distribution chain of the agri-food sector.
The innovation project is integrated by the Union of Small Farmers and Ranchers (UPA), environmentalist Lucia Lopez, and the SAT Los Marines. Agromarketing acts as an agent of innovation.
More information:
Agromarketing
Antonio Santos
+34 666500594
[email protected]