By: Chloe Sun

After finishing a meal, most of us throw the leftovers in the trash can. Have you ever wondered what happens to them afterwards? According to the United Nations (UN) Environment Programs Food Waste Index, our food waste is responsible for 10% of greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, how to better dispose our food waste is a big issue.

Researchers at the University of Tokyo have created a smart way to solve this problem by turning food into an “edible cement.” The researchers dried the food waste, crushed it into a fine powder, then pressed into a mold. They successfully turned a large variety of foods into “cement.” These include banana peels, onions, orange peels, pumpkins, coffee grounds, and more. Out of them, cabbage has the best result — it creates a material 4 times stronger than concrete! To turn the cement back into food, you just simply break it up and boil it! The cement is also biodegradable which means it takes up less landfill space.

Link: https://inhabitat.com/new-technology-to-make-edible-cement-from-food-waste