A joint venture between Manco Environmental and BinX.
The tomato is loved by many New Zealanders – it forms the basis of many recipes either fresh or preserved. What is the end of life destination for tomato by-product waste?
This project embodies the circular economy by injecting the pulp into the manufacturing circuit, where it is given new life as sustainable packaging, such as punnets and boxes. Additionally, the durability of tomato fibre allows for products to be recycled numerous times – even more than conventional packaging. At the end of its life cycle, the packaging is readily compostable.
At the end of every tomato harvest there is a large amount of organic waste. Estimates suggest around 6000 tonnes of tomato vines go directly to landfill with another estimated 9000 tonne of leaf that could potentially go to compost.
A new innovative process that has been successfully trialled in Europe makes it possible to convert the stems and leaves into a valuable pulp that can be combined with recycled paper fibres to produce packaging.
Aim Of The Project
In the process of growing tomatoes, commercial growers are left with large quantities of stem and leaf wastage.
Leaf trimmings are discarded on a weekly basis. Larger volumes of stem and vine are discarded during crop changes. While the leaf waste is suitable for composting, much of this green waste is currently sent to landfill. This is due to an inability to separate plastic lines and truss clips used to support the plants from green waste.
Risk of environmental harm from current practices includes contributing to greenhouse gas emissions from landfills and the introduction of plastic components to landfill.
Utilising these tomato fibres makes it possible to conserve energy and trees, while giving the stems and leaves a second life as packaging means they can be recycled again and again.
Consequently, tomato fibres stay in the production chain longer and reliance on virgin wood fibres is reduced.
To illustrate: Trials overseas have shown one hectare of tomato wastage can be used to produce bio based packaging for some 600 tonnes of tomatoes.
The leaf and stem are shredded then processed utilising a mobile shredder. Mobility is of key importance as it allows initial processing to be carried out onsite at the grower. This ensures the plant by-products are processed at their freshest and limits the need to double handle the feed stock.
A major part of the project will be developing a process to separate the plastic and nylon components from the organic material. The high quality vine fibres are then available to the process instead of going to landfill. The fibre produced from the leaf is used to produce trays whereas the fibre produced from the stems is much stronger and can be used to produce cartons.
Benefits Of The Project
Environmental
- Reduces organic and plastic waste entering landfill
- Reduction of emissions from landfill and transport activities
- Reduces the need for plastic punnets
- Creation of a sustainable pulp source from a primary industry waste product
- Superior recyclability to conventional paper products
Economic
- Reduces waste disposal costs for tomato growers
- Reduces reliance on local and foreign raw material and plastic packaging
Social & Cultural
- Carbon footprint reductions in line with New Zealand’s goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050
- Provides a sustainable, green packaging alternative, which consumers are increasingly demanding
Turning the tide on plastic
At the end of every tomato harvest there is a large amount of organic waste produced that is contaminated with plastic and metal pieces. Without separation this has to be disposed of direct to landfill. This is an ever increasing cost to growers.
Increased organic and plastic waste entering landfill
Release of emissions from landfill and transport activities
Ever increasing waste disposal costs for tomato growers
