In both the food industry and households alike, onion skins are typically viewed as waste, as they’re not fit for consumption. Although some creative uses for onion peels exist – such as turning them into natural dyes or adding them to compost – most of these skins end up discarded in landfills. This often-overlooked byproduct contributes to food waste, despite its potential for other applications.
However, an innovative start-up based in Oban is working to change that narrative by transforming onion skins into something far more impactful: sustainable packaging.
Renuka Ramanujam, CEO of HUID, and Dr Marie Rapin, Chief Scientific Officer, are working towards using waste peels to develop a cardboard-like material, as well as an alternative to flexible film.
By repurposing onion skins into durable packaging, HUID is tackling two major environmental issues simultaneously – reducing agricultural waste and providing a sustainable alternative to plastic. This breakthrough not only minimises reliance on harmful plastics but also serves as a viable substitute for traditional paper and cardboard packaging, which, while more eco-friendly than plastic, still consumes valuable natural resources.
Ms Ramanujam said “Trees are super important to the environment, because of the animals they home and the carbon they hold. Onions don’t have that responsibility.”.
This forward-thinking approach demonstrates how innovation in the packaging industry can align with broader goals of sustainability. Ms Ramanujam and Dr Rapin hope to launch their first product next year – paper made entirely from onion skins. Who knew the onion skin considered as waste had such an exciting future!
M&P Engineering is a leading manufacturer and supplier of food processing equipment, and our most popular machine is the Large Onion Peeling machine.
M&P’s Large Onion Peeling machine uses self-adjusting floating knives to top, tail, and peel onions of 45mm to 115mm diameter. The machine is easy to operate due to its simplistic mechanism and design and, thanks to the dry peeling process the product remains in pristine condition once it has been peeled.
Onions come in a wide range of shapes and colours, and common onions grow in 3 different colours: red, white, and yellow, each having their own characteristics. Different onions can come in different sizes too, but for M&P’s Onion Peeling Machine that isn’t a problem. Red onions and shallots are particularly hard to handle, due to their irregular shape and size, but with our equipment, the process couldn’t be easier.
M&P Engineering also offers a wide range of food processing machinery in addition to onion peeling machines, including our freshcut machinery: the Carousel Grid Cutting machine and the Radish Top & Tailer.
To learn more about us and our machines, please don’t hesitate to contact a member of our team today. Call us on +44 (0)161 872 8378 or contact us here.