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Example of repurposing rice straw for the footwear industry. TA
The UMH repurposes rice straw waste for the cosmetic and footwear industry

The UMH repurposes rice straw waste for the cosmetic and footwear industry

Two university projects promise to revalue this raw material to turn it into a sustainable and economically viable resource

Pau Sellés

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Lunes, 14 de octubre 2024, 14:20

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Repurpose and recycle rice straw waste for the cosmetic industry and the footwear sector. This is the aim of two projects being carried out by Miguel Hernández University (UMH) to reuse the waste of one of the most widespread crops worldwide.

According to the director of both projects, UMH researcher Enrique Barrajón, these wastes "lack proper management and are incinerated in many cases, contributing to the generation of greenhouse gases and an increase in atmospheric pollutants."

"Rice straw waste lacks proper management and is incinerated in many cases, contributing to the generation of greenhouse gases and an increase in atmospheric pollutants"

Enrique Barrajón

UMH Researcher

In this regard, UMH's initiative has developed a new comprehensive strategy for handling rice straw, "turning it into a sustainable and economically viable resource," according to UMH sources. The work developed by La Unió Llauraora i Ramadera has allowed for finding a management model for rice straw that enables effective and efficient collection of this by-product, ensuring continuous supply independent of weather conditions for its use in new value chains. In parallel, a business model has been developed for rice farmers that defines the main items for future economic profitability of the straw.

On the other hand, efficiently collected straw has been processed by INESCOP and IDiBE to obtain cellulose, lignin, and high-value-added polyphenolic compounds. To achieve this, sustainable extraction techniques have been employed along with a sequential process that allows obtaining these compounds with high yields through a zero-waste strategy, where products from one stage serve as a starting point for the next.

Finally, both cellulose and lignin, as well as rice straw itself, have been incorporated into shoe soles, enabling the creation of new bio-based products that will be marketed by another partner, ANALCO company, within its eco Green Label line. Additionally, obtaining an extract enriched with high antioxidant activity polyphenols will allow creating a new ingredient of interest for the footwear, cosmetic, and food industries.

Funded by the Ministry and Generalitat

The first project, titled Valorization of Rice Straw Waste through the Development of Advanced Biotechnological Applications for the Cosmetic Industry is funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation; while the second one, titled Development of Advanced Recycling Techniques for Rice Straw and Its Conversion into Renewable Raw Materials for the Footwear Sector is funded by the Valencian Innovation Agency IVACE+i.

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