Transforming juice press residues
The consumption of vegetables and fruit is an essential part of our diet and invariably produces food waste. This happens on a large scale in the juice industry.
Pomace, the juice press residues, can be transformed into new shapes: a natural and recyclable material that can be an alterntative to environmentally damaging, fossil fuel based materials and products.
The juice press residues are currently mainly used as fodder and compost, to obtain pectin or to produce biogas and – in theory – undergo a circular process. However, its unique qualities could be put to much better use.
The new developed pomace material can take on different flexibilities, transparency and thicknesses. Through its fusibility it can be transformed into new shapes and be an alternative to fossil-fuel based plastic.
When developing the material, it was important to use as few additives as possible – and to push boundaries: how can different properties be developed solely through different processing methods? Using different techniques can expand the scope for design and influences the characteristics of the material.
The aim of A Matter of Fruit is to take responsibility for its developed materials. Since the new ‘pomace material’ is recyclable and compostable, it can also be processed further after use: before it ends up prematurely on the compost, it can be transformed into a plant pot, thus replacing plastic pots in order to save further resources.
BE PART OF CREATING NEW CYCLES FOR HEALTHIER MATERIAL FLOWS
The biological cycle of the juice press residues is just being extended and the material can be returned to the natural system once it reaches the end of its life.
Old pomace material can be recycled – for example pressed in the shape of a plant pot. It can be planted togehter with the plant into the ground and biodegrades within three weeks.
End consumer: nature.
