Chitin and lignin waste in the circular economy

Food and packaging waste, produced by food industries and consumers, cause an increasing pollution if not correctly managed. Recycling opportunities must be exploited to maintain our health and wellbeing, preserving the planet' natural raw materials and biodiversity for the future generations. Thus, the necessity to transform the linear economy, cause of people inequality and waste, in a circular economy based on economic prosperity, cultural vitality, social equity and environmental sustainability. For a sustainable community development, it will be necessary to recycle the industrial and agricultural waste and redesign and manufacture new products taking into account their end of life management and considering, through Life Cycle Assessment investigations, to maintain a low consume of energy and water. Among the different waste materials recovered worldwide, chitin and lignin, obtainable from food and agroforestry by-products respectively, represent the greatest source of natural raw materials available at low cost and underutilized. By many studies it has been shown that both chitin, lignin and the relative complexes, may be electro-spun with other natural polysaccharides to obtain antibacterial, immunomodulant, antioxidant and skin-repairing non-woven tissues. These innovative tissues, embedded by selected active ingredients, may be used to make facial beauty masks and/or advanced medications.