A CONSORTIUM of Spanish researchers has developed a new plastic made from fruit waste that can be used to manufacture biodegradable spectacles.
The researchers from three technological centres have been working on the project for the past year.
The bioplastic material is made by fermenting citrus subproducts and will also be usable by other industries, such as the packaging and automotive sectors.
The study forms part of the OPTOBIO project, which seeks to give use to all waste generated by the agro-food industry to reduce its impact and develop sustainable optical-ophthalmic products.
During the first year of research, the technological centres have focused their efforts on optimising the production process, the preparation and processing of the biomaterials and the optical optimisation.
They now aim to conclude all optimisation procedures and study the possibilities for the biomaterial’s application in other sectors.