Juice company offers $1M for pitch to use 50,000 tons of pomegranate waste

Sept. 29 (UPI) -- A California juice company is offering $1 million in funding and development resources for a plan to do something about the 50,000 tons of pomegranate husks the firm disposes of each year.

The Wonderful Co., based in Los Angeles, said it is teaming up with food waste nonprofit ReFED to search for a way to use the rind, pith and seeds left over from the juicing process in an environmentally friendly way.

The "Wonderful Innovation Challenge" is offering $1 million for the pitch that is ultimately selected.

The company said registration for the challenge is open through Dec. 7, and the pitches will then be put through a four-stage review process before the final plan is chosen.

"The Wonderful Innovation Challenge was born out of our mission to continually push the boundaries of sustainability by embracing bold, innovative ideas," said Steve Swartz, vice president of strategy at The Wonderful Co. "This competition will provide a select group of winners the resources they need to grow their business, make a positive impact, and help us fulfill our environmental mission."