<p>In response to the challenge of postharvest losses, this work proposes a facile approach for preserving cherry tomatoes at room temperature through edible coatings based on carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) composites. The nanofibers were produced via the novel bacterial strain <i>Ancylobacter</i> sp. STN1A from crude glycerine waste, thereby integrating a circular economy perspective through byproduct valorization. Microscopy techniques (SEM and AFM) revealed the micrometer-scale length and narrow width (≈54 nm) of BNC. These nanofibers exhibited a crystallinity index (CrI) of 57%, as determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). CMC-BNC composites containing 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 wt. % BNC were prepared to assess the effect of nanofiber content on the main physicochemical properties of the materials. Increasing BNC concentration was shown to enhance the barrier properties and structural cohesion of the composites up to a certain threshold (≈7.5 wt. % BNC). Based on these findings, cherry tomatoes were coated by the dipping method with CMC-BNC formulations containing 0, 2.5, 5, or 7.5 wt. % nanofibers, and the preservation effectiveness was monitored under controlled storage conditions. Higher BNC concentrations in coatings imparted reduced weight variation and improved the overall visual appearance of the treated fruits over storage. Additionally, these coatings restricted microbial growth, achieving significant reductions (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) of up to 27.75% in bacterial content while also decreasing yeast and fungal counts. Overall, these results highlight the potential of the designed CMC-BNC coatings as a sustainable postharvest alternative to effectively extend the shelf life of cherry tomatoes.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>