Circular economy strategies: Use of corn waste to develop biomaterials

Abstract

The circular economy is a process through which elements that have already been used are reincorporated and given a second use so that they can reduce the consumption of virgin raw materials. This article shows how, from the reuse of an agro-industrial waste such as corn husks, a biomaterial can be developed that manages to standardize the properties of materials such as paper and cardboard, thus allowing the development of single-use products that replace the excessive expense of materials such as polymers. In this article, it will be possible to show how from the process of transforming an agro-industrial waste into a raw material base, it is possible not only to reduce the number of raw materials discarded but also to redesign a product that not only contributes to the environmental component but also facilitates the processes of economic sustainability when generating products. As a practical case, a comparison is made between traditional fast-food packaging and how from these, a new packaging proposal can be generated, which starts from the principles of circular economy and complements sustainable design processes to make more efficient manufacturing of the mentioned product.