UNITED

UNITED aims at identifying solutions of circular economy to obtain value-added products and energy optimization through highly sustainable technological processes and closed loop recycling of vegetable residues. In particular, residues from fruit and pulse processing will be considered. 

The specific objectives of UNITED are:

1) Optimize food residues valorization procedures 

2) Identify the most sustainable combinations of residues exploitation strategies

3) Develop a decision support system (DSS)

UNITED counts on the collaboration of 3 partners with complementary expertise in multiple sectors from food technology, to environmental microbiology, material science and decision support systems development.

UNIUD team comprises food technology competencies, with expertise in vegetable waste valorization into value-added materials and ingredients for the food sector. Agro-food economists and engineers are also key components of the UNIUD team, experts in the assessment of consumer acceptability of products deriving from waste upcycling and in the development of support decision tools.

ISSMC-CNR team has wide experience in the development of biomaterials with wide application potential, from the pharmaceutical sector, to the medical and cosmetical one.

UNIUS team comprises experts in environmental microbiology aiming to steer bacterial activity towards the production of biomaterials with low environmental impact.

UNITED is organized in 5 Work Packages (WPs) including one WP (WP1) of project management. Within WP2 and WP3, procedures required to turn residues from vegetable chains into value-added food (functional beverages and tasteless flours) and non-food products (low-cost cultivation media for microbial bioconversion, bacterial cellulose, cosmetic creams, packaging materials, energy vectors) will be validated in industrially relevant environment (pilot-scale level). In WP4 we will perform inventory of impact indices and indicators, which data will be used to assess the energetic, economic and environmental efficiency of the closed loop recycling of vegetable residues within the legal and market context of the Italian territory (WP4). We will thus produce a flexible and adaptable decision support tool to guide stakeholder aware choice and investment in the most sustainable processes/products worthy of investments. WP5 will focus on maximization of project impact through communication, dissemination and exploitation activities.