Beer and snacks made from unsold bread are the first examples of upcycling created by Biova Project, an innovative startup based in Turin.
The circular economy thus finds concrete application. Mitigating food waste, saving energy and raw materials, producing new foods.
Biova Project, the innovative startup
Biova Project is an innovative startup that was born out of a reflection on the ‘unsustainable lightness of promises of corporate social responsibility,’ to paraphrase Milan Kundera. Its founder and CEO, Franco Dipietro, therefore developed the idea of starting productions with an inherent social impact.
The focus has been on the issue of food waste, which, as it turns out, is a structural and systemic problem. Interaction with a number of nonprofit organizations in northern Italy first identified bread as a food subject to excessive waste and poor reuse.
Thus, the startup ‘s first initiative is to recover unsold bread at the end of the day-which is not always easy to redistribute to the needy due to rapid spoilage-to create new foods. Which requires technological innovation, but also logistical efficiency for the collection of raw materials.
Upcycling, from leftover bread to beer and snacks
Redundant bread-at best, in large industrial plants especially-is reused, at least in part, to produce breadcrumbs. On the other hand, larger quantities are destined for the feed industry and/or waste, depending on the production, distribution and logistic contexts in the various territories.
Instead, the Piedmontese startup was able to convert unsold bread into craft beer. From 150 kg of dry bread to 2500 l of cervogy, in the three variants Biova Classic, Biova Whole, Biova Light. With appreciable and in some cases significant savings of barley malt, ranging from 15 to 50 percent.
Barley malt recovered from the brews is in turn used as the raw material for Ri-Snack crispy triangles.
Socio-environmental impact
1300 tons of bread, the startup estimates, would be wasted every day on the Italian territory alone. Biova Project – ‘a movement, more than a beer!‘ – claims to have achieved, in 2020, the following social-environmental performance:
– 3,000 kg of unsold bread recovered,
– 4,500 kg of CO2 saved from unsold inventory management,
– 5,000 kg of CO2 saved from barley malt reduction,
– 54.2 t of recycled bottles and cans,
– 3,000 donated to nonprofit organizations.
Supply chain perspectives
Biova’s proposal to supply chain operators is to coordinate on collecting unsold bread and using it to co-brand beer. The startup is therefore targeting bakeries and processors, food service and distribution companies, offering them the opportunity to create a premium beer with their own brand name in addition to that of the producer.
Unes Supermarkets – one of the great innovators in large-scale retail in Italy, with the ingenious sign of ‘Il Viaggiator Goloso’ in addition to the famous Unes, U!, U2–just yesterday announced the start of a collaboration with Biova Project, in the prospect of ‘scaling up’ a beautiful idea into a great project. We also hope for the non-alcoholic version.
#SDG12, Sustainable Consumption and Production. (2)
Dario Dongo and Beatrice Nardone
Notes
(1) Dario Dongo, Andrea Adelmo Della Penna. Upcycling, ameliorative reuse in the food supply chain. GIFT (Great Italian Food Trade). 6.10.21, https://www.greatitalianfoodtrade.it/progresso/upcycling-il-reimpiego-migliorativo-nella-filiera-agroalimentare
(2) Dario Dongo, Giulia Caddeo. Sustainable Development Goals, humanity’s challenge. Égalité. 5.9.19,
https://www.egalite.org/sustainable-development-goals-sdgs-la-sfida-dellumanita/
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
Graduated in gastronomic sciences from the University of Parma, with a great passion for sustainable development and innovation in the agri-food chain.
