Clothes That Taste of Food

Mohammad Jaafar Taherzadeh, professor of bioprocessing technology at the Swedish Center of Resource Recovery, at the University of Boras in Sweden, briefed IRNA on the processing of agricultural waste and other residues into bio-fuels and valuable materials, saying that it is a complicated project, featuring several phases. What’s important now, he pointed out, is facilitating the procedures and lowering the cost.
He added that his project mainly aims to design an efficient and cheap process for the production of valuable products, saying that waste products can be converted to feedstock and biopolymers.
“For instance, we throw away old clothes as being of no use; but based on the new methods, they can be converted to products which can be eaten, smelling and tasting like meat. Though it might seem fantastical, the idea is possible. For the time being, we can turn food waste into biogases at the industrial level, then turn the gas into CNG fuel. Production of the second generation of ethanol fuel is in the industrial phase.”
Taherzadeh said his project also allows agricultural waste and urban garbage to be turned into feedstock and food for human beings, as well as into plastic.
The Iranian professor, who has been working on the project for about 16 to 17 years, said the final product depends on the user’s choice and that the process involves further study of the raw material and type of molecules and atoms, to see into what types of product they can be converted. “Of course, some of them may take several hours, several days or several months to be produced.”
He advised people to be serious about segregating their urban garbage, because any waste can become a raw material for the production of their favourite items.
Dr. Taherzadeh’s research project was presented and acclaimed at the 29th International Khwarazmi Festival, gaining second place in the category of fundamental research by Iranian researchers living abroad.