Professor James Clark at the University of York is one of the brainy boffins behind a new project to produce naturally-derived chemicals, materials and fuels from the waste of oranges.

The project, entitled the Orange Peel Exploitation Company (OPEC), is a joint adventure between the boffins from York and experts from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil and the University of Cordoba, Spain.

Professor Clark, of York University's Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence, said: "Waste orange peel is an excellent example of a wasted resource.

"In Brazil, the world’s largest producer of orange juice, half the orange fruit is left as waste once the juice has been recovered. This corresponds to three million tonnes a year of orange peel that can be used to produce chemicals, materials and fuels."

OPEC will target products such as bio-ethanol (a renewable energy saving fuel) and d-limonene, found in many of the eco-friendly cleaning products available here at BigGreenSmile.

Professor Clark added: "Waste is a problem worldwide. Food residues and by-products are being generated in very significant quantities by the food industry and the agricultural sector.

"Though they are sometimes used in low-value applications, they are often landfilled, which is economically and socially unacceptable as well as representing a major loss of resource.

"The increasing demand for renewable feedstocks is encouraging the re-use of organic waste from the food supply chain for the production of novel added-value materials, chemicals and fuels."

We wish the Prof and his colleagues success in their new venture and also congratulate them on getting away with, so far, an entertainingly cheeky name!

[Image: PinkMoose]