23.02.2016
800,000 tons: That’s how much waste in the form of chicory roots is generated during the production of chicory salad in Europe per year. Currently, after harvesting the chicory salad, the roots are disposed of in composting or biogas plants. Researchers of the University of Hohenheim used these roots to generate Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), a basic material in the future plastics industry.