Sustainability of distillation By Marco Valussi
- Aromatika Magazine
- Dec 30, 2025
- 2 min read
Pg. 70-75 - 5-minute read
I view sustainable aromatic plant distillation as a practice that must balance ecological, ethical, and economic responsibility. Traditional distillation methods are often energy-intensive, inefficient, and reliant on outdated equipment, producing large amounts of waste while extracting only a small fraction of usable compounds. This inefficiency increases environmental impact, carbon footprint, and production costs, making it clear to me that improving efficiency and reducing waste are essential for the future of distillation.
A biorefinery approach offers a meaningful solution. While essential oils are the primary high-value product, they represent less than 5% of the plant material used, leaving behind large volumes of solid waste, hydrosols, and wastewater. Rather than viewing these as disposal problems, I see them as valuable resources rich in bioactive compounds. These by-products can be transformed into food additives, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, bioenergy, bioplastics, soil amendments, animal feed, and natural pest control solutions—supporting a circular, bio-economic model.
By integrating waste valorization with improved distillation methods, sustainable harvesting, and smarter process design, distillation can shift from an extractive practice to a regenerative one. To me, this approach not only reduces environmental harm but also creates economic resilience and deeper respect for plant resources. Sustainable distillation is ultimately about using the whole plant wisely, honoring its value beyond essential oils alone.
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