After noting that her country of origin, the Republic of Chile, was the second largest exporter of dehydrated plums in the world, Genoveva Cifuentes sought to find a use for the 47,000 tonnes of annually wasted plum pits -- InPlum is the result of her quest for sustainability and manages to find room for aesthetics, too.
Typically, the refuse and waste from producing dehydrated plums is left to rot in landfills, burned in industrial fires or used in composting. Yet, while some of the fruit pits are safely discarded, too much is left to waste -- Genoveva Cifuentes decided that the cellulose and lignin components of the seeds could be used to compose a biodegradable material. InPlum, the name of her project, upcycles plum pits and converts their normally-ignored nutrients into a sturdy compound for gardening purposes! These plant pots and seed beds can be deployed directly into the soil and will not only decompose harmlessly, but will improve germination by adding the InPlum pots' nutrients to the mix.
Not only will your garden look better than your neighbors, you won't have the shame of knowing you added pesticides or strange chemicals to improve your plants.
Upcycled Plum Containers
InPlum Reclaims 'Fruit Waste' to Fabricate a New Building Material
Trend Themes
1. Upcycled Building Materials - The trend of using waste materials to create new and sustainable building materials presents opportunities for disruptive innovation in the construction industry.
2. Circular Economy - The shift towards a circular economy, where waste is seen as a valuable resource, opens up opportunities for businesses to create products from discarded materials and reduce waste.
3. Biodegradable Solutions - The increasing demand for biodegradable products drives the need for innovative solutions like InPlum's upcycled plum containers, offering opportunities for disruptive innovation in various industries.
Industry Implications
1. Construction - The construction industry can explore the use of upcycled building materials like InPlum's plum containers, which provide eco-friendly alternatives for construction projects.
2. Waste Management - The waste management industry can benefit from the trend of upcycling waste materials and finding innovative ways to reduce landfill waste through the adoption of products like InPlum's upcycled plum containers.
3. Horticulture - The horticulture industry can leverage biodegradable solutions like InPlum's plum containers to enhance sustainability efforts and improve plant growth with nutrient-rich seed beds and plant pots.