Waste of olives FAIR-CT98-9584

GENERIC SCIENCE AND ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES FOR NUTRITIOUS FOODS
FAIR: CO-OPERATIVE RESEARCH FOR SMEs
A lot of trees each producing many olives generates a lot of waste (Courtesy: T. Morris)
Waste of olives
FAIR-CT98-9584
Olive production across the Mediterranean
wastewater from the three-phase process. This
Basin has a long and prestigious past, which
wastewater needs treatment before disposal.
today is firmly rooted in the economic, social
Olive oil waste has always been one of the
and cultural life of its inhabitants. Around the
biggest problems associated with the industry.
region, around eight million hectares are
The environmental devastation, caused by the
extraction technology has not brought new
dedicated to olive cultivation producing, all
accidental release of non-treated waste that
waste disposal schemes but rather makes
told, some 1,800,000 tons of oil.
periodically occurs, bears witness to this.
old techniques redundant. Consequently,
The project concentrated on olive oil
However, recent innovations in extraction
production processes in Spain, Italy and
Greece. To extract olive oil, three different
methods are commonly used. The traditional
been troubled with what to do with their
waste. To make matters worse, new
this project is coming up with a means of
technology have resulted in new types of waste,
recycling olive waste and putting it to new
making much of existing waste treatment and
recovery obsolete.
press method is a non-continuous process
which provides high purity extra virgin olive
For a long time the olive oil industry has
Not wasted at all
uses. They will evaluate its potential
agricultural, energetic, nutritional and
pharmaceutical purposes. For the olive oil
oils. The other two techniques are the two- and
Nonetheless, this project – consisting of 19
three-phase decanter centrifuge methods. The
partners from the UK, Spain, Italy, Greece and
three-phase is a continuous process that
The Netherlands – aims to develop uses for
requires the addition of warm water to improve
olive oil waste in five different areas. Using
extraction, as is the two-phase which differs by
carbon dioxide for supercritical fluid extraction
operating without adding any water. This last is
and the chemical compound 1,1,2-
the most innovative technique and produces a
tetrafluoroethane for solvent extraction, high
semi-solid cake of pressed olive fruits and
value-added components will be extracted. Both
stones as opposed to the highly polluting
processes are at the vanguard of extraction
QUALITY OF LIFE AND MANAGEMENT OF LIVING RESOURCES
industry, there need not be waste – only
assets.
GENERIC SCIENCE AND ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES FOR NUTRITIOUS FOODS
FAIR: CO-OPERATIVE RESEARCH FOR SMEs
technology and will provide the raw materials
Yet another part of the work package will try to
for nutritional and pharmaceutical applications,
break down waste through the use of anaerobic
and flavours and oils.
bacteria, leaving it in a less polluting form.
While petrochemical oils are used for domestic
Through this, methane could be produced which
Recycling and use of waste from olive oil
and commercial energy, there is no reason not
could be used as an energy source.
production
to use other more natural oils for the same
In agriculture, waste is often spread on the
purpose. Hence the use of olive oil waste as a
surface as a fertilizer, returning nutrients to the
Robert Edyvean
low cost renewable energy source will also be
soil. Olive oil waste will be investigated to see
Bethan Technology Ltd.
targeted. This involves the absorption of spilt
if it can be put to the same use to improve crop
175 Woodhouse Lane
oil, which could then be incinerated for energy
yield and quality.
recovery. It has already been shown that the
Through work conducted so far, the exact
absorption of oil spills is feasible.
chemical and physical properties of olive oil
Biosorption is the process of biologically
waste has been ascertained. This forms the
recovering pollutants. Olive oil waste will be
basis for much of this project’s future work.
tested as an adsorbent of contaminants such
In today’s climate of re-use and recycling it is
as metals and colours from aqueous effluents.
refreshing to see an industry that generates a
Preliminary studies have shown that the waste
lot of waste being able to put its waste to good
adsorbs (i.e. binds) toxic cadmium, copper and
use: a case of changing the age-old saying from
lead – a promising early result.
waste not, want not, to waste it, want it.
INFORMATION
FULL TITLE:
CONTACT:
Leeds LS2 3AR
United Kingdom
Tel.: +44-114-2227506
Fax: +44-114-2227501
E-mail: r.edyvean@sheffield.ac.uk
PARTNERS:
Tool & Steel Products Ltd (UK)
B.E.K. Travaux Industriels-Constructions
S.A. (GR)
Coopérative Agricole de Mégara (GR)
Eredi di Todisco Onofrio di Todisco Vito
Antonio & C (IT)
Barnaba Domenico (IT)
Distribuciones de Novedades Tecnicas SL (ES)
LOCATION
Nuestro Padre Jesus S.C.A. (ES)
Coopérative Agricole de Papadianika (GR)
Coopérative Agricole de Crédit
de Pelasgia (GR)
GREECE
ITALY
University of Sheffield (UK)
National Technical University of Athens (GR)
Isituto Sperimentale Agronomico (IT)
SPAIN
THE NETHERLANDS
UNITED KINGDOM
Ingenieursburo Innogas BV (NL)
EKO ELDA Société Anonyme industrielle et
commerciale (GR)
PROGRAMME:
FAIR, Cooperative Research Measures
JULY 2000