Circular Economy Strategies: Use of Corn Waste to Develop Biomaterials

Abstract

The circular economy is a process through which elements that have already been used are reincorporated and given a second use so that they can reduce the consumption of virgin raw materials. This article shows how, from the reuse of an agro-industrial waste such as corn husks, a biomaterial can be developed that manages to standardize the properties of materials such as paper and cardboard, thus allowing the development of single-use products that replace the excessive expense of materials such as polymers. In this article, it will be possible to show how from the process of transforming an agro-industrial waste into a raw material base, it is possible not only to reduce the number of raw materials discarded but also to redesign a product that not only contributes to the environmental component but also facilitates the processes of economic sustainability when generating products. As a practical case, a comparison is made between traditional fast-food packaging and how from these, a new packaging proposal can be generated, which starts from the principles of circular economy and complements sustainable design processes to make more efficient manufacturing of the mentioned product.

Advances in the Food Packaging Production from Agri-Food Waste and By-Products: Market Trends for a Sustainable Development

“…Cocoa pod husk Cellulose bioplastic film [29] Wheat straw Polyhydroxy-co-3-butyrate-co-3-valerate (PHBV)/wheat straw fibers composite films [30] Corn waste Biomaterials (paper and cardboard) [31] Cassava peels…”