Do you know the upcycling ? This somewhat barbaric term designates the process of reusing or transforming materials, or even used objects intended to be thrown away. The principle is to give them a second life, or even a valued use. This concept, which is very popular today, is part of an approach to sustainability and waste reduction and aims to limit the consumption of new resources.
Julien Lesage, founder of the start-up Hubcycle, understands this well. Since 2016, he has worked to convince companies of the merits of recycling industrial waste in the agri-food industry. “For four years, the objective was to understand where the sources of industrial waste were, to see if there was the possibility of setting up a supply chain based on what was promised to be thrown away. We “ran hundreds of factories to understand what kind of processes generate what kind of waste and what markets are likely to buy these products.”
Waste transformed into flavors
For four years, Hubcycle has been selling raw materials and ingredients on an industrial scale, produced from 1,300 deposits and the scraps of which were promised for destruction.
For example, cocoa beans: when they are roasted, the skin comes off and is not preserved. Hubcycle buys it and transforms it to create… cocoa flavors. The same goes for linseed oil manufacturers who do not keep the pressing residue. With these, Hubcycle develops a flour which will serve as a natural thickener replacing egg white.
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