Tomato-based bioplastic
Bio-plastics can be made from the tomato fruit peel residues. They are an abundant and inexpensive waste from processing tomato industries rich in polysaccharides (chiefly cellulose, pectin and hemicelluloses) and lipids (soluble waxes and a non-soluble long-chain biopolyester named cutin).
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Every year Heinz uses more than two million tons of tomatoes to produce ketchup. They end up with a lot of tomato waste like peels, stems and seeds.
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Freshly harvested tomato skins are dried and pulverized into a granular state. Tomato-based bioplastic pellets are created and mixed with polypropylene.
Biodegradable plastic coatings have been made with 100% pepper and tomato peel and which retains the properties of the original product.
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More environmentally friendly alternative to petroleum based plastics that diverts waste from landfills. The European tomato processing industry processed 11,380,100 tonnes of raw tomatoes in 2004. Italy is by far the most important producer of processed tomatoes in Europe with a 53% share of European production followed by Spain (22%) and Portugal and Greece (10% each).
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Qualities range from a flexible, soft material film to more durable finishes with enhanced aesthetic qualities.
References
Class 9/23/21. Lecture. Introduction to Sustainable Materials Part II. Professor Nick Dine.
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/625297/reporting
https://www.madec.polimi.it/2017/07/a-new-fully-biodegradable-plastic-from-tomato-skin/