James Cropper has developed a recycling process that the UK paper manufacturer says could save the skins of many of the 3.5 million metric tons of cocoa beans produced each year by turning the waste product into paper.
The sustainable paper is now in production and certified for use in the food supply chain, paving the way for millions of chocolate bars to be wrapped and sold in the stuff of their creation, the company says.
About 10 metric tons of cocoa husk waste accounts for every single metric ton of dry cocoa bean produced, or 76 percent of the fruit itself. This makes the production of paper from the remnants of the chocolate production a potentially significant breakthrough for the food and packaging industries, James Cropper says. And unlike other cocoa recycling processes, this one doesn’t necessitate burning or gradual degrading of the fibers of the cocoa husk; the finished light brown paper utilizes the cocoa as a natural colorant, avoiding the need for artificial dyes.
Source: Environmental Leader