This article will detail the biodegradability of avocado peelings. Other covered topics would include:
- Do avocado peelings degrade?
- How readily do avocado peelings degrade?
- Can you compost avocado peelings?
- Can you eat avocado peelings?
- Can you recycle avocado peelings?
- Can you reuse avocado peelings?
- FAQs
Are Avocado peelings biodegradable?
Avocado peelings are made from natural biomolecules and therefore, are regarded as biodegradable. However, it is argued that avocado peelings may require 1-2 months to fully degrade.
Avocado peelings are natural and plant-based and have no significant environmental impact. However, rather than simply disposing them of, there are greener options that you can consider.
One of them is the composting of avocado peelings which is not only good for the environment but also for life because when avocado peelings are composted, environmental benefits such as water conservation, the substitution of synthetic fertilisers, and an increase in organic content of the soil are safeguarded.
Do Avocado peelings degrade?
The question is very much analogous to the biodegradability aspect of avocado peelings. To probe into the answer to the question, it is important to know what materials are used to make avocado peelings.
It is unveiled that avocado peelings are made mostly from natural molecules such as proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and fibres.
Since avocado peelings are made from natural materials (biomolecules), it is very easy to conclude that avocado peelings will degrade readily. The time taken may vary on external conditions such as sunlight, heat, aeration, et cetera.
Based on it, it can be stanced that yes, avocado peelings can degrade readily and therefore, are regarded as readily biodegradable.
The world, as of now, is experiencing difficult times in terms of waste management and handling. This is mainly because of two reasons:
- An excessive amount of waste is produced
- More non-biodegradable waste is produced
It is estimated that an average person is responsible for the creation of more than 5 kgs of waste per day. This amounts to 2 billion tons of waste produced annually. These staggering figures create an unprecedented obstruction in the way of effective waste handling.
Since avocado peelings are biodegradable, they help greatly by mitigating the effects caused by the second point of the waste problem discussed above.
How readily do Avocado peelings degrade?
The time taken by the Avocado peelings is another important question that needs to be addressed. This is because it is the time taken by any material that discerns if that material is biodegradable or not.
For example, a paper may degrade in about 8 weeks and that is why it is regarded as biodegradable waste. However, plastics may take about 500-1000 years and that is why plastics are regarded as non-biodegradable waste.
In the case of Avocado peelings, it is seen that since these are natural materials, they are prone to degrade by the action of microbes quite readily. However, there is some defiance of normality here.
It is seen that Avocado peelings may degrade in about 1-2 months. This time is fairly more than other natural materials.
Can you compost avocado peelings?
You have a lot of avocado peelings available to you and you are wondering what is the best way to deal with them. You are also inclined to think that simply disposing of them in the trash cans is not a good idea.
Congratulations. You are at the right place. This section will discuss one of the best ways to deal with used avocado peelings if you are not in the league (and you should not be) of disposing of them.
One of the most eco-friendly options that you can explore is to compost avocado peelings. Composting is the process of making compost from waste. This compost can be used as a natural fertiliser that can replace synthetic fertilisers.
Composting is a green alternative because it offers a number of benefits that include:
- Increased soil fertility
- Increased water retention profile
- The increased organic content of the soil
- Better yield
- Decreased use of agrochemicals
The composting of avocado peelings can be done in two ways. One is called the hot method and the other is called the cold method.
As the names imply, the hot method involves a higher temperature that reduces the risk of harmful pathogens; whereas, the cold method involves the use of colder temperatures that do not emit the risk of harmful pathogens.
Can Avocado peelings be recycled?
The simple answer is yes, avocado peelings can be recycled and reused in a number of creative, innovative, and beneficial ways.
If we probe into the literature, there will be many studies that indicate that perhaps composting is the best way to recycle or reuse avocado peelings.
We have already covered in detail what is composting and what are the benefits of composting. When avocado peelings are composted, there are many environmental benefits that are offered.
One stood out benefit is that composting avocado peelings is one efficient way to decrease the use of synthetic fertilisers. Synthetic fertilisers are made from many harmful chemicals and when these chemicals are made a part of the soil, degradative effects follow.
These effects or repercussions involve soil contamination, soil pollution, groundwater pollution, disruption in soil and aquatic habitats et cetera.
Another benefit that is reaped when avocado peelings are recycled is that there is less waste generation. Although avocado peelings are natural and ought to degrade readily, research has shown that avocado peelings might take more than normal time and may degrade in 1-2 months.
Therefore, although avocado peelings are natural, they have a slight tendency to cause havoc to the waste management systems. When avocado peelings are recycled, this factor is also eliminated.
Another benefit that is offered by recycling avocado peelings is that there is the conservation of water. Water is a very limited resource. Already, many countries are water scarce and are on the verge of being water deprived.
As per research and stats, there are many people who have no access to clean water and the use of water for agricultural practices is one contributing factor towards it.
However, when avocado peelings are composted, then there is an improvement in the water retention capacity of the soil. This is because the organic content of the avocado peelings directly enhances the water retention ability of the soil.
This results in the conservation of water. The water saved from here can then be utilised in other effective ways. Therefore, the recycling of avocado peelings is one effective way to ensure that the water scarcity problem is mitigated and alleviated.
Can you reuse Avocado peelings? (3 benefits of reusing Avocado peelings)
The question is not only about recycling or composting, The question should also be about the reusing of avocado peelings in creative ways so that the environment and humanity are saved from major damage.
In many ways, reusing is considered to be much better than recycling. This is because, while in recycling, there is some use of energy and resources, there is almost no use of energy and resources in the case of reusing.
What really is required for reusing is the right mindset. As Rumi once penned, “Do not look for me in a human shape. I am inside your looking.”
The same is the case for environmental problems. Many of the problems will subside if the mindsets and approaches towards those are considered and optimised.
In some ways, the reusing of avocado peelings can also be used as an indicator of how green the mindset and approach of people are. When avocado peelings are used, there are many advantages that are safeguarded. Let us explore some of the benefits that are offered by reusing avocado peelings:
- Less waste generation
- Indication of green mindset
- Proper utilisation of natural resources
Therefore, since a stance has been built on the importance of the reusing of avocado peelings, let us explore some of the ways in which avocado peelings can be efficiently reused. These are:
- Making avocado tea
- Eating avocado peelings
- Using avocado peelings for bathing
- Using avocado peelings as a skin freshener (used as scrubs et cetera)
- Using avocado peelings to make refreshing drinks
It is commonly perceived that avocado peelings can not be eaten. However, this is not the truth. You definitely can eat avocado peelings since the peelings are made from biomolecules that will contribute to your health and vitality.
However, eating avocado peelings may be an unpleasant experience because avocado peelings may come with a bitter taste and unliked texture.
Also, since avocado peelings are full of elements such as vitamins and antioxidants, you can also use avocado peelings to either make a refreshing drink or tea. You may also add avocado peelings to your bath to enjoy a soothing bathing experience which will also benefit your skin.
Conclusion
It is concluded that Avocado peelings are made from natural biomolecules and therefore, are regarded as biodegradable. However, it is argued that avocado peelings may require 1-2 months to fully degrade.
Avocado peelings are natural and plant-based and have no significant environmental impact. However, rather than simply disposing them of, there are greener options that you can consider.
One of them is the composting of avocado peelings which is not only good for the environment but also for life because when avocado peelings are composted, environmental benefits such as water conservation, the substitution of synthetic fertilisers, and an increase in organic content of the soil are safeguarded.
Also, there are a number of efficient ways in which avocado peelings can also be reused. These include making tea, using avocado peelings for bathing purposes and so on.
Frequently Asked Questions: Are Avocado peelings biodegradable?
Can you eat avocado peelings?
You definitely can eat avocado peelings since the peelings are made from biomolecules that will contribute to your health and vitality. However, eating avocado peelings may be an unpleasant experience because avocado peelings may come in a bitter taste and unliked texture.
What is present in avocado peelings?
Avocado peelings are full of elements such as vitamins, phenols, flavonoids, and antioxidants. That is why avocado peelings are recommended as good for the skin and overall vitality.
References
- Huynh, Louise. (August 27, 2020). 6 genius ways to use your avocado seed & peel. Retrieved from: https://www.oddbox.co.uk/blog/6-genius-ways-to-use-your-avocado-seed-peel
- Jaron. Can you eat avocado peelings? Retrieved from: https://foodsguy.com/eat-avocado-skin/
- Schanes, K., Dobernig, K., & Gözet, B. (2018). Food waste matters-A systematic review of household food waste practices and their policy implications. Journal of cleaner production, 182, 978-991.
- Girotto, F., Alibardi, L., & Cossu, R. (2015). Food waste generation and industrial uses: A review. Waste management, 45, 32-41.
- Ruijssenaars, H. J., Stingele, F., & Hartmans, S. (2000). Biodegradability of food-associated extracellular polysaccharides. Current microbiology, 40(3), 194-199.
- Fisgativa, H., Tremier, A., Le Roux, S., Bureau, C., & Dabert, P. (2017). Understanding the anaerobic biodegradability of food waste: Relationship between the typological, biochemical and microbial characteristics. Journal of Environmental Management, 188, 95-107.