Tomatoes are one of those products that are often heavily processed after harvesting. For example, the production of ketchup, tomato sauce or canned tomatoes means that the seeds, leaves and stems are disposed of as waste.
According to the Food & Agriculture Organization, corn, soybean and wheat are the products that are mostly grown in the United States. After that goes cotton, and only then tomatoes. But in 2013, 12.6 million tons of tomatoes were grown in the United States. This means that there also was a lot of waste from the processing of this vegetable.
Scientists have been looking for a way to "turn" the organic waste into bioplastics for a long time already
Scientists from different industries have been trying to figure out how to make the optimal use of the waste from the cultivation and production of tomatoes. There was a proposal to use the waste as compost for the next harvest. Scientists and developers from Ford Motors and Heinz tried to find a way to use "tomato" waste for the production of bioplastics, a promising material in the automotive industry. However, a recent study presented at the American Chemical Society stated that scientists have found the optimal use of waste: as fuel for biotechnological device that converts the chemical energy of organic substances into electricity.
Lycopene – the substance that is not only responsible for the red color of tomatoes but also promotes the production of electricity
The mechanism of processing tomatoes to produce electricity was launched in Florida. This state produces 396 thousand tons of tomato waste every year. The processing of tomato waste is tied to fermentation. The same technology is used for baking bread or brewing. The only difference is that instead of air bubbles or alcohol the result of the fermentation of tomato waste is electricity.
Why exactly tomatoes have become a revolutionary material for biotechnology plants? Tomatoes contain a substance called lycopene. It is a natural connector necessary to electrons connecting with the electrodes to produce energy.
The result of the installation of the biotechnology mechanism in Florida is impressive: 10 milligrams of tomato waste are able to produce 0.3 watts of power. Of course, this is not the easiest and the most inexpensive way to generate electricity. However, its main achievement is a practical proof that the waste can also be an alternative source of energy.