Several million tons of this seafood waste (exoskeletons of lobsters, crabs, and shrimps) is dumped each year. Its abundant organic polymer, chitin, could be extracted to make biodegradable packaging, food, and even pharmaceutical and cosmetic additives. A new more eco-friendly process replaces harsher chemicals than currently used. Its relative efficiency and cost-effectiveness might make it easier to transform more of those seafood waste streams into something useful. It’s hoped that salvaged chitin could also be turned into a nutrient-rich fertilizer for crops.
phys.org/news/2024-02-environmentally-friendly-seafood-added-products.html
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