Scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore have developed a new technique to convert kale waste for use in health and personal care products, reducing food waste and emissions.
Millions of tons of food and vegetables are discarded globally every year. In the case of leafy vegetables like kale and lettuce, farmers cut off outer leaves as they are harvested, in order to sell perfectly sized and aesthetically pleasing vegetables with no signs of damage or yellowing. This commercial practice results in a significant amount of perfectly good, edible leaves being thrown away.
In Singapore, some 817,000 tons of food waste were generated in 2021, almost half of which was fruit and vegetables.
Phytochemicals found in plants are known to prevent damage to cells in the body