Process for recycling organic waste, product and use

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for recycling organic waste, comprising the steps of separating, solar and mechanical dehydration, shredding, grinding, sieving and packaging to convert the waste into a nutrient-rich flour. The process encompasses a wide range of waste materials, including eggshells, bones and fish bones, as well as lettuce and cabbage leaves. The resulting flour, with low moisture content and free of chemical additives, can be tailored to meet customer requirements and used in various industries, including as a biofertiliser in agriculture, in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries, and in the production of animal feed. The invention is distinguished by its efficiency and versatility, ensuring the quality and stability of the final product while contributing to sustainability and the circular economy.

Description

[0001] Organic waste recycling process, product and use.

[0002] Technical sector

[0003]

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical sector of recycling and treatment of organic waste with specific application in the transformation of organic kitchen waste into value-added products. The process involves the dehydration and shredding of the waste, resulting in a significant reduction in volume and weight, making it imperishable and facilitating storage and transport.

[0004] State of the art

[0005]

[0002] The recycling of organic waste has a long history, dating back to ancient civilizations such as the Egyptian and Roman, which already practiced the reuse of materials. In the 11th century, in Japan, workers began recycling paper during the Heian period. The Industrial Revolution in the 18th century brought an increase in waste production, leading to the creation of the first large-scale recycling initiatives. In the early 20th century, resource scarcity during the world wars spurred the collection and reuse of materials such as metal, paper, and rubber. From the 1970s onwards, growing environmental awareness and concern about the depletion of natural resources promoted the modern recycling movement. Today, the recycling of organic waste has evolved to include advanced technologies that transform kitchen waste into value-added products, contributing to sustainability and the circular economy.

[0006]

[0003] The prior work entitled “Valorization of Fruit and Vegetable Waste into Sustainable and Value-Added Materials” focuses on the valorization of fruit and vegetable waste (FVW) through environmentally friendly, economical and sustainable methods within a circular economy framework. The article highlights green processing technologies for the extraction of bioactive compounds from FVW and their applications, as well as a techno-economic evaluation of the FVW biorefinery. The value-added products generated include bioactive compounds, pectin, protein isolates, natural pigments such as anthocyanins, quinones, carotenoids, betalains and chlorophyll (Râpá, M.; Darie-Nit, RN; Coman, G. Valorization of Fruit and Vegetable Waste into Sustainable and Value-Added Materials. Waste 2024, 2, 258-278. https: / / doi.org / 10.3390 / waste2030015).The invention under review differs by encompassing a wider range of organic kitchen waste, including eggshells, bones and fish bones, as well as lettuce and cabbage leaves.

[0007]

[0004] The article entitled “Food Waste and Circular Economy: Challenges and Opportunities” explores the challenges and opportunities related to food waste within the context of the circular economy. It identifies eight main themes, including anaerobic digestion of food waste, food waste systems and life cycle assessments, bio-based circular economy approaches, consumer behavior, food supply chains, material flow analysis and sustainability, challenges and policies to achieve circularity, and consumption patterns in the circular economy. The article focuses on recovering resources from food waste to close the supply chain loop, promoting collaboration between governments, the private sector, educational institutions, and researchers to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions associated with food loss and waste.

[0008]

[0005] The prior work "Utilization of Food Waste Obtained from Supply Centers in the State of Goiás S / A for Human Consumption" by Renata Fleury Curado Roriz, presented to the Federal University of Goiás in 2012, investigates the feasibility of using food waste from supply centers for human consumption. The study addresses the classification, processing, and full utilization of fruits and vegetables that, although without commercial value, are suitable for consumption. The research highlights the importance of promoting food security and reducing food waste, transforming waste into nutritious and accessible products for families and registered assistance entities. The dissertation also emphasizes sustainability and efficiency in the use of natural resources, contributing to the circular economy and the reduction of environmental impacts.

[0009]

[0006] The proposed invention solves several problems present in the state of the art of recycling organic kitchen waste. Many existing technologies focus only on fruit and vegetable waste, leaving aside other organic kitchen waste such as eggshells, bones, and fish bones. The technology covers a wider range of waste, increasing the efficiency and versatility of the process. Furthermore, composting and solar dehydration processes are highly dependent on climatic conditions, which can limit their effectiveness in environments with low solar incidence. The invention includes a mechanical dehydration option, ensuring the continuity of the process regardless of climatic conditions. Techniques such as composting can be complex and time-consuming, requiring a long period for the complete decomposition of waste.

[0010]

[0007] A dehydration and shredding process is also used, which significantly reduces the time required to transform waste into usable products. Many organic waste recycling methods do not guarantee the stability and quality of the final product, which may be prone to deterioration. These differences highlight the innovation of the proposed invention, solving critical problems of the state of the art and demonstrating its patentable potential.

[0011] Novelty and purpose of the invention

[0012]

[0008] The invention process deals with the recycling of organic kitchen waste, specifically combining the steps of separation, solar and mechanical dehydration, crushing, grinding, sieving, and packaging. This process allows for a reduction in the volume and weight of the waste by up to 90%, making it imperishable and easy to store and transport. Furthermore, the resulting flour is rich in nutrients, has a low moisture content, and is free of chemical additives, differentiating it from conventional recycling methods.

[0009] The invention aims to transform organic kitchen waste, specifically fish bones and spines, into high-quality flour, while other waste is used for the production of gas and organic slurry. The process is efficient, sustainable, and offers a versatile end product with applications in the agricultural, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries.The specific combination of steps and parameters used ensures the effectiveness and quality of the final product, making it stand out as an innovative solution for the management of organic waste.

[0013]

[0010] Flours can also be produced from animal waste such as rabbit, chicken, and cattle manure, ensuring a homogeneous and stable product. Each type of waste will be processed separately, allowing for customization according to the final application. Thus, the flour obtained for use in biofertilizers aims to increase the nutritional load. For use in animal feed, flour obtained from animal waste is not added, ensuring compliance with animal nutrition standards, and for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, segregated flours are maintained, without mixtures, guaranteeing the purity and traceability of the components.

[0014] Advantages and technical effects of the invention

[0015]

[0011] The advantage of the invention lies in its ability to transform organic kitchen waste into high-quality flour, significantly reducing the volume and weight of the waste by up to 90%. This facilitates the storage and transport of the waste, making the process more efficient and economical. The invention also allows the production of organic gas and slurry from rapidly decomposing waste, such as lettuce and cabbage leaves, contributing to a more sustainable management of organic waste.

[0016] Description of the invention

[0017]

[0012] The process for recycling organic kitchen waste is innovative because it combines several steps to transform this waste into value-added products. The process begins with the separation of organic waste, where kitchen waste is classified into specific categories such as fruits, vegetables, eggshells, and bones. This step is carried out daily and takes 30 minutes to 1 hour, without significantly altering the kitchen routine.

[0018]

[0013] Next, the waste undergoes solar dehydration, which uses solar energy to reduce the moisture content of the waste. This step can last from 6 to 24 hours, depending on weather conditions, with temperatures ranging between 20°C and 40°C and relative humidity between 40% and 60%. When solar dehydration is not possible, machine dehydration can be carried out, reducing the moisture content of the waste in 2 to 6 hours, with temperatures between 50°C and 80°C and relative humidity between 20% and 40%.

[0019]

[0014] Waste such as lettuce and cabbage will not be dehydrated, but rather sent for biogas production, taking advantage of the energy potential of these rapidly decomposing and controlled composting wastes, the byproduct of which will be organic leachate.

[0020]

[0015] After dehydration, the residues are subjected to grinding, where they are reduced to particles of 1 mm to 5 mm in a process that lasts from 10 to 30 minutes. Then, grinding takes place, which transforms the ground particles into flour, with a size of 0.1 mm to 1 mm, in a process that also lasts from 10 to 30 minutes. The resulting flour is then sieved to separate different particle sizes using, for example, sieves with meshes between 60 Mesh and 200 Mesh, varying from a coarser separation (for 1 mm particles) to a finer separation (for 0.1 mm particles), ensuring a uniform consistency.

[0021]

[0016] Finally, the flour is packaged and stored in plastic or paper bags, in dry, cool conditions and protected from direct sunlight. This process ensures that the flour is stable and less prone to deterioration, making it easy to store and transport.

[0022]

[0017] The product's distinguishing features include the high nutrient content of the flour, which is rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and is free of chemical additives. The flour's composition can be adjusted according to the specific needs of customers, offering a healthy and natural product. The flour can contain up to 25% protein, up to 30% fiber, 5 to 20% carbohydrate, 0.1 to 1.5% vitamins, 1 to 20% minerals, and 0.1 to 5% natural antioxidants, such as polyphenols and carotenoids.

[0023]

[0018] An example of vitamins present in flour are: vitamin B1 (Thiamine), vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), vitamin B3 (Niacin), vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) present in banana peels and coffee grounds, and vitamin E (Tocopherol).

[0024]

[0019] The dehydration and grinding process maintains the minerals in their original form, ensuring high concentration. The main macronutrients are: nitrogen (N): 1% to 5%, phosphorus (P2O5): 1% to 4%, potassium (K2O): 3% to 10% (high due to banana peel), calcium (Ca): 2% to 8% (present in eggshells), magnesium (Mg): 0.5% to 3%, sulfur (S): 1% to 5% (present in onion and garlic peels) and micronutrients such as iron (50 to 600 mg / kg), zinc (15 to 200 mg / kg), manganese (20 to 250 mg / kg), copper (5 to 50 mg / kg), boron (3 to 40 mg / kg) and molybdenum (0.2 to 5 mg / kg). These values ​​vary depending on the exact composition of the mixture, but they are preserved during dehydration and released when the product comes into contact with moisture.

[0025]

[0020] The antioxidants come from the dry ingredients, especially banana peel, coffee grounds, and onion peel. The estimated concentrations of polyphenols are 100 to 800 mg / kg (present in coffee grounds and onion peel) and of carotenoids from 5 to 100 mg / kg (banana peel and fish waste). These compounds help stimulate the soil microbiota, improving nutrient absorption.

[0026]

[0021] The described process produces a flour with low moisture content, rich in nutrients and free of chemical additives, guaranteeing its stability and quality, which can be used in various industries, including agriculture, as biofertilizers, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and in the production of animal feed, expanding the possibilities of use of the generated products. The developed technology transforms previously discarded waste into a wide range of high value-added products, eliminating the need for landfills and dumps.

Claims

MODIFIED CLAIMS Received by the International Secretariat on July 17, 2026 (17.07.2026) 1 - Organic waste recycling process, characterized by comprising the following steps: a) Separate organic waste into categories; b) Dehydrate the organic waste at a temperature of 20°C to 80°C and relative humidity of 20% to 60% for a period of 2 to 24 hours; c) Grind the dehydrated organic waste until the particles are 1 mm to 5 mm in size; d) Grind the crushed waste until the particles are 0.1 mm to 1 mm in size; e) Sift the flour to standardize the particle size until the particles have a uniform size between 0.1 mm and 1 mm using sieves between 60 Mesh and 200 Mesh; f) Packaging and storing the resulting flour. 2 - PROCESS, according to claim 1, characterized in that the categories described in step (a) are fruits, vegetables, eggshells and bones. 3 - PROCESS, according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the rapidly decomposing organic waste separated in step (a), such as lettuce and cabbage leaves, is used for the production of gas and organic leachate. 4 - PROCESS, according to claim 1, characterized in that the dehydration, described in step (b), can be a solar dehydration carried out at a temperature of 20°C to 40°C and relative humidity of 40% to 60%, for a period of 6 to 24 hours. 5 - PROCESS, according to claim 1, characterized in that the dehydration, described in step (b), being a mechanical dehydration, is carried out at a temperature of 50°C to 80°C and relative humidity of 20% to 40%, for a period between 2 and 6 hours. 6 - PRODUCT, obtained by the process defined in claim 1, characterized by comprising up to 25% protein, up to 30% fiber, 5 to 20% of MODIFIED LEAF (ARTICLE 19) carbohydrate, 0.1 to 1.5% vitamins, 1 to 20% minerals and 0.1 to 5% natural antioxidants, such as polyphenols and carotenoids. 7 - USE OF THE PRODUCT, obtained by the process defined in claim 1, characterized by being for application as a biofertilizer, in the formulation of cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and in animal feed. MODIFIED SHEET (ARTICLE 19) DECLARATION ACCORDING TO ARTICLE 19(1) According to article 19.1, a new set of claims is presented where the scope of the present invention is better defined. Claim 1 has been amended to group the features described in claims 6, 7 and 8, thus restricting the scope of the matter now claimed. This modification does not add new matter to the object originally claimed.