Using agro-waste as potential raw material of flours and bioplastics under a circular economy framework

Introduction: The need to increase food production while minimizing environmental impacts has intensified the search for more efficient strategies. Concurrently, research conducted in the field of polymeric materials over recent years has focused on replacing conventional plastics with sustainable alternatives aligned with the principles of reduction, reuse, and recycling. The use of agro-industrial residues for the production of food-grade flours and biodegradable bioplastics is proposed as an integrated strategy to mitigate environmental impact and promote technological innovation.

Materials and Methods: Surpluses from various crops have been used as potential raw materials. The production of food-grade flours involves peeling and slicing the fruits, followed by low-temperature dehydration to preserve their nutritional quality. Flours were characterized in terms of chemical composition and particle size distribution. In parallel, bioplastic matrices were manufactured through injection moulding and characterized using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and biodegradability assessments.

Results: Agro waste flours showed a heterogeneous particle size with a high content of polisaccharydes. In contrast, protein-based bioplastics exhibited adequate tensile strength and flexibility. Furthermore, the samples underwent degradation under composting conditions within a period of 30–40 days.

Conclusions: This study has demonstrated that the valorization of agro-industrial surpluses for the production of food-grade flours and biodegradable bioplastics constitutes a viable, innovative, and sustainable solution to address the challenges of food security and climate change through the implementation of circular economy principles.

Funding: This work forms part of an ongoing project: Project PID2024-155967OB-I00 funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by “ERDF A way of making Europe”. Authors also acknowledge the financial support of Agencia Andaluza de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo through the project “Fortalecimiento de las capacidades de investigación e innovación tecnológica de la UNAH para el desarrollo de cultivos biofortificados mediante el uso de matrices bioplásticas enriquecidas con micronutrientes como fertilizantes sostenibles (Honduras)” (expediente 2025UC005).