Circular Bioeconomy in Action: Transforming Food Waste and Renewable Biomaterials into High-Value Products

This symposium explores how green chemistry can drive a circular bioeconomy by transforming food system residues and renewable biomaterials into high-value, low-impact products. Food waste and byproducts, rich in proteins, fibers, lipids, minerals, and bioactive compounds, are leveraged as strategic feedstocks rather than discarded as waste. Simultaneously, industry faces rising regulatory pressures, environmental challenges, and growing consumer demand for safe, sustainable, and high-performing products. By combining these perspectives, this session presents a compelling, scalable vision for turning underutilized resources into practical, market-ready solutions. Speakers will highlight innovative approaches, including molecular insight, solvent-responsible extraction, renewable polymer design, and low-energy processing, to convert diverse side streams into specification-grade materials for food, agriculture, cosmetics, packaging, and industrial bioprocessing. Case studies will showcase process intensification, scale-up strategies, techno-economic analysis, life-cycle assessment, and regulatory readiness as key tools to de-risk adoption and ensure real-world applicability. The session will also demonstrate green chemistry strategies that reduce microplastic pollution, lower carbon footprints, and enhance supply-chain resilience. A strong focus on industry–academia collaboration will be embedded throughout the program. Co-presented talks will pair method developers with application partners, while a mixed-sector discussion and open-forum roundtable will convene startups, researchers, brands, and ingredient suppliers to identify barriers, align on data needs, and catalyze pilots and procurement pathways. By providing actionable frameworks, transferable technologies, and cross-sector partnership models, this symposium equips participants to accelerate the valorization of food system residues, advance renewable biomaterials, and implement circular-economy strategies. Attendees will leave prepared to apply green chemistry principles in practical, scalable ways, contributing to a more sustainable, innovative, and resilient industrial future.

Hanno Erythropel, Ph.D., Yale University

Lars Ratjen

Paul Anastas, Yale University

Peter Licence, The University of Nottingham

Hanno Erythropel, Ph.D., Yale University

Lars Ratjen

Paul Anastas, Yale University

Peter Licence, The University of Nottingham