Chitin pulp and chitin nanoparticles are finding a wide range of applications in value-added areas including adhesives, batteries, filtration systems, sensing applications or as (nano)fillers for mechanical strengthening purposes. These renewable and biodegradable materials can shift our current linear production and consumption patterns into circular approaches. Usually, chitin pulp and chitin nanoparticles (nanofibrils, nanocrystals) are isolated from arthropods such as beetles or crustacean exoskeletons. Conventional isolation methods use acid-hydrolysis and chemical oxidation processes to remove the minerals and proteins and obtain a high purity material. This way, biomass waste is washed, crushed, demineralized, deproteinized, bleached, nanofibrilated, and dialyzed for purification. Another procedure uses a mechanical nanofibrillation process assisted by chemical or biological processing to isolate chitin nanofibrils using the 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical (TEMPO)-mediated oxidation.<br/><br/>Unfortunately, these processes for chitin/nanochitin isolation require large amounts of energy and raw materials/water, jeopardizing the environmental sustainability of isolated materials. On this basis, here we aim to close this knowledge gap and guide the implementation of environmentally sustainable extraction of bio-based materials using the life-cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. In particular, the environmental impacts originating from chitin nanoparticle isolation from fungi, shrimp shells, crab shells and chitin powder are measured, and are then compared to conventional cellulose nanocrystal extraction approaches. We classify the impacts into several indicator categories, including global warming potential, ozone layer depletion potential, ecotoxicity, eutrophication, or acidification. The potential of minimally treated shrimp shells to obtain chitin pulp (similarly to cellulose pulp) is also envisaged, both in terms of environmental sustainability and physico-chemical properties. The results demonstrate the environmental feasibility of nanochitin from fungal resources and chitin pulp, setting the stage to expand the use of these bio-based nanoparticles on global sustainable challenges and path the way toward a sustainable Circular Economy.

Environmental sustainability of chitin-waste valorization into chitin-pulp and chitin nanoparticles

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