Development of New Products for the Recovery of Residues Derived from Nopal Cultivation in Sonsón, Antioquia

In Colombia, only 17% of agro-industrial waste is used, making it necessary to rethink and emerge new strategies to articulate the productive component with the academy, and in turn, the use of waste produced in the different industries that allow developing new markets in the responsible use of biodiversity. This scenario is reflected in the production of figs in Sonsón, Antioquia, where the waste of by-products generated in the nopal plantations opens up a research opportunity since the entire plant is usable. Including the waste generated in a previous life cycle in the production cycle is an option that provides sustainable options, favoring the circular economy, generating benefits both economically and environmentally, reducing the negative impact that is closely related to the last stages of the life cycle such as final disposal. In this project, the previous experiences of the Quality, Metrology and Production groups of the Metropolitan Technological Institute in the use of agro-industrial waste will be used. For this, different stages are proposed aimed at obtaining by-products of high added value, from the physicochemical and morphological characterization, which aims to develop new materials to manufacture products that will be developed from the Design Research Group, of the University of Medellín. , looking for the application in different uses and contexts, such as ornamental, "functional" and/or artistic. This project presents a high academic, scientific and technological interest, and hopes to generate economic, environmental and social impacts, aiming to set goals in different SDGs. Similarly, the generation of new knowledge related to environmental management, the generation of new innovative products that allow the region to be sensitized in the use of its resources, and position it as an epicenter of products derived from Nopal.

General Develop new products using eco-design strategies, aimed at the recovery of waste generated in the cultivation of nopal in Sonsón, AntioquiaSpecifics• Identify the raw materials that can be recovered from the waste generated in the cultivation of nopal, by characterizing their properties using analysis chemical, physical, mechanical and morphological. • Select manufacturing processes suitable for product development according to the application context and installed capacity. • Design a set of products that take into account the restrictive variables defined in the characterization and selection of manufacturing processes, which provide added value to the use of waste generated in the nopal planting.

- Two presentations at national or international conferences- An industrial design record- An undergraduate degree project