Study of Plant-Based Waste from Georgian Processing Facilities and Recommendations for Optimal Processing

This article addresses the issue of utilizing industrial plant waste. It turns out that thousands of tons of plant waste are discarded in landfills in Georgia, even though such waste serves as a valuable raw material for pectin production. The study reviews current pectin production technologies, characterizing them and identifying associated challenges and drawbacks. Based on this analysis, the authors propose the introduction of new, efficient, simple, and cost-effective processes for the hydrolysis and extraction stages of pectin production. Electro-active solutions obtained via electrolysis technology are presented for use in these processes; these solutions enable the efficient execution of hydrolysis, extraction, and precipitation, while eliminating the need for complex, costly procedures involving chemical reagents for hydrolysis/extraction, concentration, and precipitation with alcohol or salts. New electrolytic units developed by the research team, capable of producing acidic and alkaline solutions, are presented. The results of extraction and precipitation studies using these solutions are also reported. Based on the findings, the authors recommend the widespread application of electrolytic technologies in the processes of obtaining pectic substances.