Building a circular economy.
Almond farmers are committed to new uses of almond coproducts that can support a circular economy where every byproduct is an input for another product or valuable in its own right.
Focusing on ideas that are a win-win for farmers and the planet, current research is exploring using almond hull and shell components as growing medium for mushroom cultivation, producing feed sources for poultry, improving recyclables, soil amendments for almond orchards and other crops, supplemental winter food sources for honey bees and even for brewing beer.
One promising area uses torrefaction, burning materials in the absence of oxygen, to transform almond shells into a charcoal-like material to be added to post-consumer recycled plastics, making them stronger and more heat stable. This new approach increases our ability to recycle existing plastic, resulting in less new plastic in the world.5