In the perspective of bio-sustainable development and renewable resource technologies, by-products
and waste from agro-industrial sector represent a relatively cheap source of material suitable for
several aims, which would reduce both the amount of waste and the related costs of disposal, while
producing added-value nutritional products.
The processing waste of oranges find various fields of application, in fact in addition to their use in
agriculture as a fertilizer, orange peels can be used to produce candied fruit. Moreover, in a very
recent application with the aim to recover these industrial residues, a chemical process that allows
the processing of orange peel waste has been developed. This process is useful for obtaining a purified
cellulose suitable for spinning, thus creating a truly innovative and sustainable fabric (Orange Fiber).
In this work, the orange peels obtained from industrial processing waste were subjected to a first
hydroalcoholic extraction which allowed to obtain an extract rich in essential oils that could be used
in the food sector to produce liqueurs and/or aromas, but also in the cosmetic or pharmacological
sectors.
Subsequently, the peels after hydroalcoholic extraction were dried and this residue represents a
valuable product rich in dietetic fiber useful in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical fields. Moreover,
the same product could be used as fertilizer in agriculture. In lights of this, citrus fruit processing
waste can be considerate as a sustainable and renewable energy source