Turning spoiled bananas that have been discarded in markets into healthy snacks. This is the goal of Banabites, a project led by students from the University of Navarra, which offers a solution to food waste throughupcycling, to manufacture new materials or products of higher quality, greater ecological and economic value, reducing CO2 emissions and providing benefits and job opportunities.

Banabites was the project winner of the first edition of the Hult Prize On Campus held at the University of Navarra and in which 32 other teams of students from different Schools participated. The students presented their proposals under the slogan 'A bold business for a better planet'. 

The Banabites team will be able to select the destination for the next phase, the "Regionals Summits", an international test held in the spring, where more than 75 cities around the world participate, including Bangkok, London, Dhaka, Kuala Lumpur, Naoribi, Boston, Ho Chi Mihn, Ankara and Cairo, among others. They will be eligible for a $1 million award to develop their idea. 

The group is formed by Carlos Alejandro Macías, from ADE; Andrea Giammattei, from Architecture; Eric Castro, from ADE and Economics; and José María Rodríguez, from ADE. "It is necessary for the food industry to take its sustainable objectives more seriously, to incorporate new technologies that reduce its negative impact on the environment and generate a positive effect on society," emphasized Carlos Alejandro.

The University of Navarra is the first in Spain to participate in this international competition. "It is an opportunity to show the world that our university is committed to sustainability, to generate impact on the world and society," said Gabriela Pajuelo, a student of International Office, who promoted participating in this initiative along with a team of ten students.

Hult Awards

With more than thirteen years of experience, the "Hult Prizes" were created thanks to the Hult Prize Foundation for young people from universities around the world who want to solve social problems. The awards, associated with the United Nations and supported by the Clinton Global Foundation, which belongs to former U.S. President Bill Clinton, are present in more than 121 countries. 

During the program, the teams received training and advice from mentors, the Hult team and different services and centers of the University. In addition, they faced a "24 Hours Challenge" and, finally, only six teams reached the local final at the University.

Remask, the project that obtained the second place award, was formed by Carlos Flores, from Economics Bilingüe; Matilda Otoole, from ADE; Patricia Pola, from International Office; and Isabel García, from Nutrition and Dietetics. The initiative offered a mask made with plastic made from surplus milk with the goal to combat food waste and contribute to the reduction of the greenhouse effect. Returning to banana waste, Altervita won third place. A project that wanted to combat the waste generated by the banana industry in Ecuador, transforming it into textile and paper materials. The project was formed by Carolina Ferro, from International Office; and Andrea Barona and Ignacio Espinoza, both from Law.