Plastic from
chicory waste

Chicory plastic

Chicory is known as a salad, less as a raw material for plastics. The root of the plant usually ends up in the composting plant. Only a fraction is used to produce biogas. Researchers at the University of Hohenheim have discovered the chicory root as a resource for obtaining hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), one of the basic materials for nylon, polyester or perlon. The platform chemical is considered to be one of the twelve most important basic chemicals in the plastics industry that was previously obtained from crude oil. This means that chicory is not only interesting as a salad, but could also serve as a raw material for food packaging.

Product name: Plastic bottles made from chicory waste
Producer: Hohenheim University
Project status: Concept // Prototype // Ready for market // Ready for series production

Source: Peters, Sascha; Drewes, Diana: Materials in Progress. Innovations for Designers and Architects, Basel 2019, p. 45.
Image source: Hohenheim University of Applied Sciences