What are the applications of agricultural waste?
Every year, large amounts of agricultural waste are generated that pose a problem in
environmental and economic terms.
This waste can be used to obtain natural organic compounds by means of sustainable
energies, which gives it added value.
These strategies fall within the concept of circular economy, minimising the volume of
generated waste.
The natural compounds extracted are characterised by their bioactive, antimicrobial
and antioxidant properties, among others, and are highly useful for the formulation of
new functional materials.
A recent initiative involves microwave-assisted extraction of natural and innovative
compounds from agricultural waste with advanced properties, such as antimicrobial
effect, release of fragrance, and new colours and optical effects.