Food waste is a global problem with humanitarian implications and climate impacts. But with more than a billion tons of food wasted per year, it’s a big challenge to address both prevention and mitigation.
It’s the latter that scientists in Tokyo hope to tackle. How can food waste be repurposed into something with practical applications?
Well, this latest development moves beyond compost and into… construction. Researchers at the Institute of Industrial Science at the University of Tokyo have recently unveiled a process that recycles food waste into construction materials that are stronger than concrete and even edible. If you’re into that.
The team has taken food scraps like fruits and vegetables, vacuum dries and powders them, then mixes them with water and some seasonings before they are pressed into a mold. The result is a material that’s more bendable than concrete but is reportedly stronger than concrete, though not as hard. And tasty! For some reason.
Recent reports say that the material resisted rot, fungi and insects over a test period of four months. There were no “appreciable changes,” in fact, during that time period, giving researchers hope that this could have real applications for construction.
And if not… just eat it!
