Crop Waste Could Be The Secret Ingredient For A Greener, More Profitable Future

A groundbreaking new report from Growing Kent & Medway has revealed the hidden potential of horticultural waste to fuel the bioeconomy — turning by-products into high-value chemicals, materials and new revenue streams for growers across the region.

The report, Plant Crop Waste and Valorisation in South East England: The Potential of Horticultural By-products for a Biobased Circular Economy, outlines how advances in biotechnology could help fruit, viticulture and hop growers unlock commercial opportunities while slashing their environmental impact.

Scientists from the University of Kent, the University of Greenwich, Canterbury Christ Church University and NIAB contributed to the publication, which explores a vast range of untapped uses for by-products currently destined for landfills or biodigesters.

Industries including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and construction could benefit from the transformation of crop waste such as pomace, peelings, trimmings and non-edible plant matter. The report highlights how compounds within waste fruit could replace artificial food additives and dyes, antioxidants in hops may help to develop cancer-fighting drugs, and straw could be converted into eco-friendly building materials and packaging.

Dr Nikki Harrison, Director for Growing Kent & Medway, emphasised the dual value of this innovation. She said: “Finding new uses from parts of the crop we grow, but don’t currently use, not only helps create new markets and value for growers and farmers but can also improve the environmental impact of our UK food systems.”

She stressed the importance of a collaborative effort: “We need a coordinated approach and targeted investment across the sector to ensure we have the technology, transportation, and processing systems in place to capitalise on these scientific advancements. This would enable us to scale up the transformation of our waste streams more rapidly into new, valuable products, generating new income opportunities for a sector that struggles with profitability due to rising costs.”

Dr Rob Barker, Associate Professor in Sustainable Chemistry at the University of Kent, added:

“Horticultural residues range from high-value compounds, suitable for applications in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries, to high-volume, lower-value materials that can be repurposed for bioenergy, biofertilisers, and compostable packaging.

“As research and technology continue to advance, we can expect to see even more innovative applications for horticultural waste, driving a circular economy that prioritises resource efficiency and environmental responsibility.”

The report features a wide range of potential applications, from sustainable bioplastics and perfumes to soil amendments and animal feed. It champions a holistic approach to crop use, with Dr Harrison concluding: “This is not about redirecting crops originally destined for our plates to create moisturisers, this is about creating new products that make better use of the whole plant and any produce which can’t be sold, which costs growers money, time and resources to grow. It is about creating a circular economy for the consumer, the growers and our planet.”

The full report is available here, alongside crop-specific summaries for sectors including fruit, grape, vegetable, hop, cereal and mushroom waste.

Source: Agritech Future