Recycling pineapple waste and converting invasive plants to biofuel

Elsevier, 12th November 2020
Authors: 
Domiziana Francescon

The fifth edition of the Elsevier Foundation-ISC3 Green & Sustainable Chemistry Challenge received 318 proposals from 69 countries. This week, the top awards were presented to researchers who created low-cost solutions to turn cocoa husks into furniture — and transform water hyacinth into biofuel.

Dr. Diana Carolina Parada Quinayá, a Colombian chemical engineer and professor in the Department of Bioengineering and Chemical Engineering at the University of Engineering and Technology in Lima, Peru, was awarded a first prize of €50,000 to for her “Use of cocoa waste for green composites production in Pangoa” proposal.

The second prize of €25,000 went to Clifford Okoth Owino of Nairobi, Kenya, CEO and co-founder of Chemolex, for his project “Ecofuel/Chemolex.”

The five finalists presented their projects virtually at the 5th Green & Sustainable Chemistry Conference.