What would happen if you dumped truckloads of orange peels on a barren pasture in Costa Rica?

In 1997, researchers and ecologists Winnie Hallwachs and Daniel Janzen set about finding out.

Princeton news gives an interesting overview of how the duo and a team of researchers over the next 16 years found that the industrial load of processed orange peel compost– waste from a local juice company– revived barren pasture land, and brought on significant growth of a tropical forest.

The research team shared the results in a paper titled, “Low-Cost Agricultural Waste Accelerates Tropical Forest Regeneration,” published July 28, 2017, in Restoration Ecology.

This project is a great example of how businesses and ecologists can develop partnerships that benefit the companies while restoring the environment, supporting biodiversity and fighting climate change.