BioBoost platform
Currently society in general (including industry) are throwing away all types of materials, often without any plan for alternative uses or best practice. Our lives and choices are still dominated mainly by fossil based raw materials and energy sources. In addition, one third of the food we produce in the world is wasted.
With rapidly decreasing natural resources, increasing waste and food security issues, we need to be thinking about new strategies for solving these problems collectively and collaboratively. This requires a paradigm shift towards a sustainable biobased circular economy with minimal to zero waste.
We have to revalue all types of materials so that ultimately we can make the best use of them. The circular bio based society also offers many business opportunities. However, before we can take these opportunities we need to become aware of them, which is one of the aims of this web platform. There are already an increasing number of examples, but they are often difficult to find. Therefore, another purpose of this platform is to provide a centralised point for information and knowledge exchange.
The BioBoost Platform aims to inspire, connect and stimulate biobased initiatives with horticulture world wide.
Get an overview, find inspiration, connect with experts, publish your own initiative and attract potential business partners.
An example: Tomato stems utilised in the production of a cardboard box in which the tomatoes are packed.
The horticultural sector produces large quantities of 'green waste', such as stems and leaves, as well as unmarketable fruit and vegetables. These residuals normally are thrown away, composted or converted into green biogas.
Commercial initiatives and research projects also shows higher valued applications are possible with these residuals; they can be used for producing materials like cardboard, for feed or food or even for fine chemicals or pharmaceuticals.
This interactive platform aims to facilitate the sharing of good examples online, including background information. You can find innovative applications as well adding new examples yourself. The more examples we gather on the platform the better we can stimulate circularity and a biobased development.
In addition to the inspiring initiatives, we also provide insight into more detailed documents. Much research has been done in recent years and knowledge is already available about the use of residual flows and by-products from horticulture. In our document overview we share public knowledge about other possibilities with horticultural crops.
The use of green horticultural residuals for new applications is positive for the environment, for combating climate change and minimalises food waste. A high-quality use of these residual flows can also lead to additional income for the horticultural sector and to new businesses.
Globally one third of the food produced is currently wasted. About half of it when growing crops. Fruit and vegetables are discarded by overproduction and when they are out of specification by being the wrong weight, different size or shape. In addition, there are large waste streams of leaves and stems.
More is being done to avoid wastage, but the residual flow from horticulture will always remain very large. So there is a huge potential of raw materials available for innovative applications.
Besides fruit and vegetables also coproducts (residuals) like stems and leaves are produced but they are hardly used.
This platform exists to inspire, connect and stimulate biobased initiatives within, with and outside horticulture. Our goal is to realize the most valuable possible use of vegetable residual flows. Get an overview, get inspiration, get in touch with experts, publish your own initiative(s) and attract potential business partners.
