Vortex

Scenario

Food waste is a major challenge in Italy, with strong economic, environmental and social implications. More than 8.6 million tons of food are wasted each year, a figure that corresponds to an estimated cost of about 13 billion euros. Although household consumption accounts for more than half of this waste (54-58 percent), a significant portion occurs along the production chain: from primary production to industrial processing and distribution.

According to the most recent data (Waste Watcher International, SURPLUS Project, FUSIONS), about11% of total waste occurs at the agricultural production stage, while 25-30% occurs in the processing industry and 5% in distribution. These percentages show that about one-third of food waste in Italy occurs before the food even reaches the final consumer.

The causes of waste in the supply chain are many. In the industrial stage, waste results from unvalued scrap, production errors, and deadlines that are too restrictive compared to the actual durability of products.

To counter these wastes, agribusinesses should adopt a multi-pronged strategy: preventing surplus through better production planning, recovering food that is still usable, and enhancing waste through food upcycling, animal husbandry or composting.

Reducing food waste is of great relevance in addressing the current environmental crisis, but it is also aneconomic opportunity forbusinesses, which can save on disposal costs, improve their image, and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals set by the UN, particularly Target 12.3, which aims to halve food waste by 2030.

Description

Vortex S.r.l. SB is an innovative startup with a social vocation, born in Piedmont, which aims to give new life to raw materials that are still rich in value, often treated as waste, with the goal of revolutionizing the way the agribusiness system manages production waste.

Thanks to patented technologies and an advanced study of by-product properties, Vortex is able to recover and transform them into functional ingredients of the highest quality, certified by a circular economy approach. Processing takes place exclusively with the use of renewable energy, and is based on the selection of native and specific varieties to help protect the biodiversity of the Piedmont region.

The company’s mission is clear: to combat industrial food waste and to enhance the value of what is today disposed of or destined for biomass, causing both negative environmental (high CO₂ emissions) and economic (loss of value) impacts. To respond to this problem, Vortex has developed a proprietary process to transform agrifood by-products into innovative, versatile, and sustainable raw materials.

The first area where Vortex chose to apply this innovation is in natural cosmetics, with the creation of the NASTE Beauty brand, which offers products based on the regenerated ingredients, distributed both online and offline. The company is also currently engaged in the development of new applications in the field of nutraceutics.

Vortex is an ESG reality, built on the three pillars of sustainability: economic, environmental and social. The entire production chain is marked by low environmental impact, while logistics is entrusted to local social cooperatives, with the aim of generating labor inclusion for disadvantaged categories. By combining research, innovation and sustainability, Vortex S.r.l. SB aims to be a benchmark in the Italian panorama ofcircular economy applied to the agrifood supply chain, transforming what is waste into a valuable resource for the future.

Bibliography