Research Spotlight
Food waste processed to make bioleather
05 Apr 2024
Ms. Esther Marie Lin, Principal Research Engineer at A*STAR’s Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), along with Dr. Teng Choon Peng, IMRE’s Senior Research Engineer, have developed a technology that can transform fruit waste into sustainable material such as bioleather. They discovered that food waste, including expired tea leaves, dehydrated fruit fibres and pudding powder, can be converted into bioleather through a fermentation process.
In 2022, Singapore generated over 813,000 tonnes of food waste, but only 18 percent of it was successfully recycled. Instead of the traditional method of incineration, this innovative approach allows for the upcycling of waste into higher-value items, thereby reducing the burden on landfills.
Reported in Zaobao Online (View)