18 Feb 2022 --- An Oregon State University study in the US has demonstrated that apple waste can be turned into a renewable packaging material that could serve as an alternative to conventional plastics. Oregon State professor Yanyun Zhao, who leads a research team focusing on environmentally sustainable food packaging and processing, studied the processing waste generated after apple juice manufacturing (known as apple pomace) to find alternatives for recycled newspaper in molded pulp manufacturing.“Right now, apple pomace is typically just composted or used for animal feed,” says Zhao, whose research aims to reduce food loss and waste across the food supply chain. “We thought why not turn it into an environmentally friendly product that meets an industry need.”Zhao envisions apple pomace as the main ingredient in molded pulp packing products such as take-out containers, flower pots, beverage cartons, bottles, and clamshell packaging used for fruit and vegetables. She is focused on apple pomace in part because it is readily available in the Pacific Northwest. When apples are processed for juice, about 70-75% of the apple goes into the juice, leaving the remaining 25-30% as pomace.The research team also studied other byproducts from processing fruit and vegetable juice and winemaking, earning a patent for their research.
