MARINE INGREDIENTS


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Marine ingredients for a sustainable blue economy


Lorena Sánchez, Cristina Thiebaut – Cobiosa - Industrias Asociadas S.L., Spain


There is only one planet Earth, however, by the year 2050, the world population will consume as if there were three planets, according to data from the United Nations (UN). On the other hand, the Organization for


Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) indicates that global consumption of biomass, fossil fuels, metals, and minerals will double in the next 40 years: Annual waste generation will increase 70% by 2050. A linear economy model cannot be


maintained and we need a transition towards a regenerative growth model that returns to the planet more than it consumes. From this need, this year, the Commission for the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) has approved the new EU Circular Economy Action Plan to achieve a “fully circular, toxic-free and carbon-free economy by 2050”. The circular economy is a production and


consumption model, far from the traditional ‘take-make-waste’ linear economic model, which aims to extend the life cycle of products, materials, and resources, maintaining their value for as long as possible, and reducing the waste generated to a minimum. This reduces pressure on the environment while promoting economic growth and social inclusion. In practice, a circular economy is a systemic


approach to economic development designed to benefit businesses, society, and the environment. Within this economic model we can


differentiate two types: The green economy, originating from the agricultural sector; and the blue economy originating from the fishing sector. Both share the same objective: to take advantage of resources by reassessing all stages of the supply chain in order to use the waste generated in other production cycles.


Blue economy The Blue economy seeks to maximise the value of fish waste and fishery by-products. The creator of this economic approach was the Belgian economist Gunter Pauli. Pauli’s fundamental idea in the blue economy is to use a working system that imitates nature, being viable and efficient, making the most of all the resources that we have at our usage, not forgetting that for the blue economy, waste is considered another source of wealth. Large amounts of fish waste are produced


each year, representing approximately 25% of total production. This waste is presented in the


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Figure 1: Linear vs circular economy models. Source: istock.


form of discards (due to being small, unprofitable species, etc.) and discarded parts derived from their processing (skin, spines, shells, fins, viscera, etc.) that constitute 70% of the fish. Marine by-products contain valuable


protein and lipid fractions, minerals, enzymes, and many other components, but most of them are not used and are discarded, creating a serious environmental problem. In short, the blue economy is about making


sustainable use of oceans, seas, and natural resources, turning aquatic biomass into food, feed, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, energy, packaging, clothes, and much more.


There will be no green economy without a blue economy 70% of the surface of our planet is occupied by seas and oceans. Conserving and taking advantage of them is key to promoting sustainable development. According to the European Commission, the blue economy already generates approximately 5.4 million jobs and a gross added value of almost 500,000 million euros per year. The Spanish Global Compact Network adds that at the national level, this market for marine and coastal resources and industries employs more than 691,000 people and generates around 23,000 million euros of gross added value. Given these numbers and the enormous


potential of the blue economy, more and more companies are reformulating their businesses to reduce their negative impact on the marine ecosystem and promote the health


and prosperity of the ocean, taking effective measures to contribute to its conservation, care, and prosperity.


Commitment to the circular economy Following this principle of circular economy, and in our commitment to protect and respect the environment, Cobiosa takes advantage of these by-products of marine origin to transform them into a good source of active ingredients (active biopeptides) for the cosmetic industry. On one hand, it turns waste into a product with high added value and, on the other, it helps producers and processors to make profitable resources that are going to be discarded, helping to generate more resistant and sustainable economies. Through extraction and purification


processes we achieve a wide range of biomolecules with very interesting active properties from a cosmetic point of view. With this, Cobiosa combines two of its main commitments: innovation and sustainability.


Marine origin macromolecules Marine origin macromolecules have rapidly replaced those of animal origin in new cosmetic formulations. A macromolecule is the union of several


molecules to form a larger one, generally a polymer. There are macromolecules of synthetic origin, such as PVC, polyurethane, or polyethylene, and macromolecules of natural origin. What they all have in common is that they have an atomic mass superior to 10,000 Daltons.


September 2021 PERSONAL CARE


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