UPenn team converts food waste into building materials
In Pennsylvania, researchers have proven it is possible to convert food scraps such as peels, rinds, and eggshells into renewable building materials. The work, led by Laia Mogas‑Soldevila at University of Pennsylvania’s Weitzman School of Design, centers on transforming food waste into durable materials that can replace carbon‑intensive products like plastics and concrete.
Through a partnership with Penn Dining and Bon Appétit, the team collects pre‑consumer waste such as melon, pineapple, banana, and citrus peels, along with eggshells. In the lab, these renewable feedstocks are dried, ground, and blended with natural, water‑based binders to create “smart biocomposites.” Because the ingredients originate from plants and minerals, the resulting materials are fully biodegradable and can return safely to the environment at the end of their life.
The composites are already being shaped into insulation blocks, moss‑growing shingles, and tiles that change color to detect soil toxicity. The team is now working to increase compressive strength to make the materials suitable for cladding and, eventually, structural applications.
To scale the technology, the team is building a standardized data library that catalogs how different organic blends behave. The goal is to train AI models capable of predicting performance, making renewable waste‑based materials as reliable and specifiable as conventional construction products.
Category: Chemicals & Materials
