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Why MixMatters is needed
An estimated 113 million tons of organic waste is generated annually in the EU. Of this, just over half is food waste (58 million tons). This waste has an estimated market value of €132 million. This waste includes organic materials that could potentially be valuable as ingredients in food products. However, around 75% ends up in a landfill or incinerated. This leads to a massive waste of revenue, resources, and natural materials.
How it works
The MixMatters pilot project centers around a mobile separation unit that utilizes advanced AI and robotics technology to search through agri-food waste created by wholesale markets, greenhouses, and the food and drink industry. The system identifies and separates waste that contains impurities such as cardboard, plastic, and metal.
Once sorted, these materials undergo a complex valorization process, removing impurities and transforming the agri-food waste into powdered ingredients, sugar concentrates, proteins, green fibres, and bioactive compounds.
Spain’s march towards a green future
Over the course of the next five years, the MixMatters system is projected to process around 6 ,240 tonnes of mixed agri-food waste a year, reducing CO2 emissions by 2 ,780 tonnes every year and helping Spain to meet EU reuse and recycling targets. MixMatters, and the Horizon Europe program as a whole, hope to generate significant market uptake of waste valorization technologies, with a projected €24.6 million of revenue expected within the first five years. The project, and others like it, are set to become pivotal for the Spanish food sector, driving a shift towards sustainability, efficiency, and circularity, while reducing emissions and increasing profits.
