Soil degradation is considered a global emergency. 60-70% of EU soils are degraded due to unsustainable management practices. bioSOILUTIONS aims to tackle this problem by building upon previous key EU projects involving key consortium partners and bringing them forward, the main ones being WaysTUP! (SAV-Coord., DRAXIS), VALUEWASTE (CETENMA-Coord., NURESYS, GAIKER and ENTOMO) and Scalibur (CSCP and G!E). We will optimise four bio-waste valorisation routes (blood hydrolysate, frass, N-struvite, K-struvite) into advanced bio-waste soil improvers with the aim of enhancing nutrient recovery from bio-waste (e.g., N, P, K, organic matter) thus reducing landfilling and incineration. These valorisation routes will render a range of bio-waste feedstocks, that will be combined in different formulations together with key additives (e.g., Non-Microbial Plant Bioestimulants -NMPB-, Microbial Plant Bio stimulants -MPB- and Controlled Nutrient Release Coatings -CNRCS), into at least five bio-waste soil improvers. They will be co-created by working along with three Living Labs (in Flanders– Belgium, Valencia and Murcia–Spain), involving critical soil sector actors (companies and entrepreneurs, end-users, research centres, public bodies and civil society) to guarantee a good market fit of the developed soil improvers, coverage of sectorial needs and compliance with regulatory requirements (e.g., new Fertilising Products Regulation). Moreover, we will design an upscaling roadmap and a circular business model for each valorisation route to engage entrepreneurs and relevant soil companies to foster the commercialisation of advanced bio-waste soil improvers across the EU. bioSOILUTIONS long-term impacts will contribute to reach targets of key EU policies and international commitments including the European Green Deal and UN Sustainable Development Goals 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15.

In the last years, extreme weather patterns of water scarcity (droughts) and water abundance (floods, rapid showers) are becoming more frequent and prolonged in the EU. If we do not remedy this situation, by 2050 water scarcity will lead to €12,2 billion losses per year and affect 17% of EU population. RAINS will contribute to improve the resilience of EU agriculture to water scarcity by demonstrating 10 solutions (irrigation practices, technologies and tools) that will increase the efficiency of water and nutrient management in agriculture and reduce the impact of extreme weather events. RAINS solutions include alternative forms of water supply, combined use of water and biofertilisers, improved soil water-retention, water-N/P modelling and some smart solutions (Optifangs-IA, WaterIQ) to contribute to decision-making and to integrated irrigation management across farm systems. Solutions will be demonstrated at 10 demo-farm systems representing agroecology, organic production, conventional, intensive and urban agriculture, replicated in Greece and Spain. We will also develop a hydrological and N/P model to optimised agriculture production at catchment level. A well, we will conduct co-creation workshops, knowledge transfer activities and create materials such as guidelines (2), White Papers (2) and Practice Abstracts (40). Policy focused sessions will deliver 3 sets of policy and incentives recommendations, engaging quadruple helix agricultural stakeholders, to pave the way for the uptake of sustainable irrigation and fertilization management solutions in practice in the EU. In the long term, RAINS will contribute to improve water efficiency by 50% in 12,700 ha. in more than 20 EU regions, and support >500 farmers in the transition to a more sustainable irrigation. And by 2050, the implementation of the RAINS project will save up to €6.1 billion, 244.348 million litres of water and 35.4 t CO2 eq. avoided emissions.

RECOVER is a disruptive RIA proposal built upon the actual needs to solve the contamination of agro-fields with non-biodegradable agro-plastics as well as to improve municipal waste handling by decreasing drastically the packaging fraction going to unsustainable waste management routes. We intend to reach our ambitious objectives applying biotech solutions that will include symbiotic bioprocesses between previously reported high powered microorganisms through microbiotic systems vectored by several insect species. Indeed, one of the main innovations in our proposal is the combination of endogenous and exogenous microorganisms and their inoculation on insects. This will allow achieving higher levels of biodegradation and direct conversion (at the same time) of agri-food plastic wastes in insect by-products such as chitin, that can be converted in chitosan (high value as bioplastics raw materials and other interesting industrial applications due to anti-microbial activity) that will be used in active packaging, enhanced mulching films and biofertilizers applications. RECOVER will help providing novel biotechnological solutions applying microorganisms, enzymes and insects to degrade conventional plastic packaging and agricultural films waste streams but also result in new feedstocks for the bio-based industries. The process will be optimized and performed either ex-situ in composting reactors (preferred route for non-recyclable plastics from municipal solid waste or for agricultural films that can be collected easily) or in-situ in the case of bioremediating soil pollution, by e.g. mulching films, further contributing to the long-term removal of non-biodegradable polymers from the environment. In addition, RECOVER can solve the microplastics pollution at the level of both industrial composting and soil.

ReBioCycle proves a portfolio of bioplastic sorting and recycling technologies within 3 complementary waste-processor-centric HUB at DEMO scale and in the real operational environment the effective and efficient recycling of 3x types of bioplastics (PLA, PHA, Mater-Bi) to demonstrate higher impact of obtaining the same or superior grade recycled polymers and other higher value applications. - NL HUB chemical technology upscaling to TRL 6. Using TORWASH technology to recycle PLA & PHA polymers (500 kg each. KPI: at least 1 m3 solution of monomers from each of PLA/PHA free of solids. The NCTP Group waste sorting site of Heerenveen (Friesland, NL) and TEC, PBM, Corbion will be involved. - IT HUB chemical technology upscaling to TRL 7. NOVAMONT technology will be used to recycle 600 kg of mixed composites including Mater-Bi. Also PHA from the NL and ES Hub will be tested in the IT HUB to blend into further Mater-Bi bioplastic formulations. IREN Group waste sorting site of Borgaro Torinese (Piedmont, Italy) and NOVAMONT’s new dedicated bioplastics recycling section within its Terni (IT) plant will be involved. - ES HUB Enzymatic recycling technology brought to TRL 6 , producing 50 kg within reactors of 200 litre s (CSIC (supported by AIMPLAS pre-treatment). Microbial recycling technology (by the AD “short-circuited” technology of GPB and UCD via pure culture fermentation ) brought to TRL 7 resulting outcomes 100kg rPHA (PHBV & PHBHx) and 20 kg rPHBV. Mechanical Technology upscaling to TRL 7 with the KPI level to be achieved 250 kg bioplastic recycle (TCD, AIMPLAS involved). HUB activities in SAV waste sorting site of Manises (Valencia, Spain). ReBioCycle will verify the industrial grade specifications by biopolymer brand owners and via demonstration of real-world products: durable (ARAPAHA: PLA) and multi-use packaging (SULAPAC: PHA and Mater-Bi). The LCA analysis by ARCHA and tailored D&E plan by partners EUBP and MAGFI will facilitate KER uptake.

BioSupPBioSupPack goal is to deliver novel, cost-competitive and versatile bio-based packaging solutions based on PHA, that demonstrate high-performance for the packaging of food, cosmetics, homecare and beverage products as well as no environmental damage during & after their use, by means of: 1. Optimization of PHA based formulations based on significantly use of >85% w/w of renewable resources. 2. Upscale the different conversion processes as well as post-consumers waste sorting & recycling following advanced industry 4.0 approach. 3. Broad the range of rigid packaging applications by tailoring biobased materials & packaging properties through the optimization of the formulations in combination with plasma technology or grafted coatings. 4. Integrate plasma technology in 3 different points of the value chain(biomasss pre-treatment, packaging production & packaging waste pre-treatment) increasing: i)PHB production yield, ii)PHB purity, iii) packaging performance(high oxygen & water barrier) and iv effectiveness & yield of enzymatic recycling. 5. Demonstrate and increase recyclability through:i) setting up a real-time monitoring system for the selective separation of developed packaging after its use; ii) mechanical recycling of industrial scraps and selective enzymatic recycling of packaging waste as the best EoL, with the final recovery of carbon sources for feedstock fermentation. Thus, the new packaging is environmentally safe(sustainable and improved value from enzymatic recycling) and contributes to Circular Economy(CE). 6. Establish a new value chain including the development of logistics and management of both the brewery and packaging waste. Complying with the industry needs (cost/performance competitive vs. fossil-based non-biodegradable counterparts and legislative compliance),as well as with consumers´ awareness, BioSupPack will have a great impact on EU bioplastics & end users’ sectors, the biorefineries and biotechnology industries and on the society.