Education
What are the applications of agricultural waste? Every year, large amounts of agricultural waste are generated that pose a problem in environmental and economic terms. This waste can be used to obtain natural organic compounds by means of sustainable energies, which gives it added value. These strategies fall within the concept of circular economy, minimising the volume of generated waste. The natural compounds extracted are characterised by their bioactive, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, among others, and are highly useful for the formulation of new functional materials. A recent initiative involves microwave-assisted extraction of natural and innovative compounds from agricultural waste with advanced properties, such as antimicrobial effect, release of fragrance, and new colours and optical effects.