Bio-based Materials in Chile. From By-products to New Products

Abstract

Sustainability has become a global imperative, driving the quest for innovative solutions in different areas, such as waste management. in this context, bio-based materials emerge as a promising option by transforming by-products into inputs for new materials, preventing them from ending up in landfills with high social and environmental costs. Following this global trend, in Chile some initiatives have emerged to incorporate industrial and post-consumer by-products into new production chains. However, these initiatives are still scattered, so the question arises: what type of organisations are leading these initiatives, what technologies do they have, what level of development and market insertion are they achieving? this article aims to explore the current landscape of biobased materials in Chile. We specifically analysed initiatives that utilise by-products from aquaculture, poultry, fruit and vegetable processing, and forestry industries. these industries generate significant by-products during production. The results of this study indicate a diverse background comprising organisations of various types and complexities. these organisations are linked to universities, research and development units in the productive sector, and private manufacturers. each unit has access to infrastructure and equipment to perform from material explorations to design innovative products, adding value to the selected by-products