Discarded food surplus, scraps and byproducts from farms and businesses currently could be redeveloped for other uses.
“Coffee grounds and sawdust can be easily remade into coasters and pot stands with a simple recipe."
Daniel Schoonmaker is the Executive Director of the Michigan Sustainable Business Forum.
"Eggshell paste can be formula for 3-D printing. Leather substitute from apple byproducts or banana peels - there's a great deal of potential here for win-win solutions.”
With support from partners like the Wege Foundation, the Forum is working with international research organization Materiom to pursue options for a byproduct value chain in Michigan.
The initiative aims to remove much of the 1.2 million tons of food loss and waste per year from the state’s food system.
“We've identified a number of waste producers and we're looking for more people who have consistent and fairly sizable amounts of organic products like apple mash or spent grain as well as people who have the potential to try out a potential application, looking at various packaging applications potential to use it in the furniture supply chain or packaging.”
The team is now conducting interviews, hosting discussions and webinars for partners interested in biomaterial applications and regenerative agriculture.
More information is on the website of Michigan Sustainable Business Forum.
