Giving waste a second life – why throw it away when it can be reused?

Together with the European Economic Area, the EEA School on Adding Value to Food Side Streams course was organised by the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn, the University of Iceland and Matis – an independent organisation focused on servicing the food and biotechnology sectors.

Zero waste - what does it mean in Iceland?

During the training, participants from the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences expanded their knowledge on methods of managing waste and by-products generated in the food industry. They learned to create new concepts and business ideas for better use of waste generated in the food production process. The course also aimed at increasing awareness of the amount and type of waste generated, as well as its impact on the environment.

During their stay in Iceland, Patrycja Ziuzia and Dr. Ewa Szczepańska also visited companies that successfully implement the 'zero waste' approach, such as Lysi-Life, Zymtech Enzymatica Aktieägare, HS Orka and Haustak, and also had a chance to discover innovative start-ups associated in the Icelandic Ocean Cluster Íslenski Sjávarklasinn.

– A great example of using by-products is the Icelandic company Zymtech, which produces, among other things, an antiviral throat spray and cosmetics using fish guts, which it buys from fish processing companies. The proteinases are extracted and cleaned from the guts and used as additives in antiviral products and to speed up skin healing – says Dr. Ewa Szczepańska from the Department of Chemistry at the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences. 

Patrycja Ziuzia, a fifth-year biotechnology student, explains that during the course she realised how different the approach is to dealing with by-products in Poland and Iceland: – The main sectors in Iceland are the fishing industry and seafood processing, where they use literally every part of the fish except the blood. Meanwhile, in Poland the waste from agricultural and food production is used mainly for feeding farm animals. The companies that we had the opportunity to visit as part of the course are a perfect example of how virtually every raw material can be properly processed, so as to avoid producing waste. This inspires us to think in the same way about waste processing in Poland.

How can we make good use of food industry by-products?

The EEA course lasted 10 days and was attended by participants recruited from Poland and Iceland. Lectures were conducted by Polish and Icelandic external experts, as well as lecturers from the University of Iceland. Thanks to this, the participants were able to approach the topic from a broader perspective – both scientific and economic.

During the sessions on creative thinking, problem solving and prototyping, Patrycja Ziuzia and Dr. Ewa Szczepańska developed their own ideas for managing waste from food production, and presented them during a special pitching session.

The task at the end of the training was to find a solution to challenges faced by local companies, which leave a huge amount of by-products as waste after the production process. Participants from the UPWr together with Dr. Radosław Kowalski from the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn, with whom they were in one team, offered an Icelandic family meat company a solution so attractive that the first production attempts are already being made, which may result in the launch of a new product on the market.

– The company approached the EEA with regards to challenges concerning turkey leg meat. It turns out that Icelanders like to eat turkey breast, but are not particularly fond of turkey legs. As a result, the company has had to dispose of up to 10,000 kilogrammes of turkey legs per year. They tried using them for burgers, sausages or ham, but there was no demand. We offered them a solution based on the production of kabanos sausages – protein tourist snacks similar to traditional Spanish fuet sausages – explains Patrycja. The lactic acid bacteria used in the production of Skyr can also be used in the process of meat fermentation, giving the sausages their unique taste. Geothermal energy is the main energy source in Iceland, so drying the meat will not be an expensive process.

The possibilities for using food industry by-products are huge, while conducting research in this field is essential, because the problem of food loss during processing as well as food waste by consumers is becoming an increasingly serious issue ecologically, economically and socially – Dr. Szczepańska points out.

What after the course?

In addition to the possibility to cooperate with an Icelandic company, the course will be useful for both of the participants in their research at the university. Dr. Ewa Szczepańska conducts research on a daily basis to find alternative methods of agri-food waste management for the production of bioactive compounds that are attractive for industry. She recently received funding from the LIDER XII programme (National Centre for Research and Development) for her research on the management of agro-industrial residues for the production of vanillin – an aromatic compound that is added to chocolate or ice cream.

Patrycja Ziuzia, whose engineering thesis focused on methods of managing waste from the agri-food industry, has been interested in the use of by-products since the beginning of her studies. In her master's thesis she focuses on the use of glycerol, a waste product in the production of biodiesel. But the knowledge gained during the course will be useful for her not only in her studies, but also in her research club. – I believe that this is a future-oriented field of research. More and more attention is currently being paid to the rational management of raw materials – says the student, adding that because it is a particularly important topic, she is trying to popularise it among university students – as the chairperson of the Student Scientific Organization "OrgChem" she has initiated a new approach to their activity this year: "Balance | Ecology | Zero-waste".

– Raw materials that are considered as waste often contain a lot of valuable compounds and do not necessarily need to be disposed of. You just need to find a suitable use for them, thanks to which we will produce much less waste, while companies will benefit from this financially–- emphasises Dr. Szczepańska.