The 3-year CAFIPLA project will radically alter the biomass pre-treatment approach for bio-economy applications. Current biomass use comes at a high cost, either in terms of land use (sugar/starch crops) or energy and chemical use (2nd generation biomass). On the other hand, bio-waste is massively produced in urban or rural context but almost not valorised, or solely in low-value applications, in part due to its heterogenous nature. CAFIPLA tackles both issues by developing an integrated biomass valorisation strategy that combines the carboxylic acid and fibre recovery platform (CAP/FRP). CAFIPLA firstly optimises the separation of the easily biodegradable fraction and recalcitrant biomass, as input for the CAP and FRP, respectively. This allows the implementation of tailored valorisation strategies for both routes, which in turn allows the use of heterogeneous biowaste as input, while still ensuring high overall yields. In the CAP, research will focus on process control strategies to obtain specific spectra of carboxylic acids to feed into bioproduction of microbial protein, PHA or caproic acid biooil. In the FRP, fractionation into different fibre ranges will result in intermediates that can be valorised as packaging material or insulation. A TRL5 pilot will demonstrate the CAFIPLA upscaling potential. CAFIPLA represents a radically new approach for bio-economy applications by approaching biomass use more pragmatically. This approach, which centres on the integration of two platforms, allows tailor-made solutions. This improves the sustainability and cost-effectiveness of pre-treatment (ambient pressure/temperature, low chemical use, bio-waste as input material). CAFIPLA will furthermore study the biomass supply chain and the business models for future implementation. The well-balanced consortium, including 7 SMEs on 13 participants, will ensure successful research and impact on the bio-economy well beyond the project consortium and timing.

The objective of CHAMPION is to develop and demonstrate that novel bio-based polymers can be efficiently synthesised and applied in high-performance applications, beyond plastics, where the current petrochemical-derived materials are not fully fit for purpose. Technologies to be developed in CHAMPION include the reductive amination of bio-based chemicals to create novel sustainable diamine monomers, application of aza-Michael chemistry onto fully bio-derivable polymers, and bio-based unsaturated polyesters from secondary alcohol diols on a kilogram scale. The new materials will be specifically circular by design and assessed as such, thus making them superior to current materials by ensuring that (chemical) recyclability or biodegradability are possible. Applications will be tested by four relevant industry end-users in the coatings, textiles, home care formulation, and structural adhesives sectors. Up to 12 bio-based materials will be subject to advanced performance testing after preliminary screenings of many more candidates. The toxicity of materials, their precursors, and break-down products (e.g. during biodegradation) will be evaluated, as well as the environmental, economic, and social impact of the new bio-based value chains these materials create (safe by design). A cradle-to-grave sustainability assessment will use the benchmarks set by commercial products to quantify performance, resource efficiency, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The producers of two bio-based chemical intermediates in the consortium will form new cross-sector interconnections with the four end-users creating increased business and job opportunities. Dissemination and exploitation of results will be conducted to establish the basis of new value chains and inform Standards fit for describing new applications of bio-based products. At least two bio-based materials are targeted to reach TRL 5, with others in the pipeline for further development as part of the legacy of the project.

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.

Only 31% of plastic is currently recycled and plastic packaging still have a deficient end of life. Thus, improvements are needed to provide cost effective solutions with high bio-based contents and suitable performances for demanding packaging applications, with a consumption of 19M ton/year, while still achieving compostability in mild conditions. Using sustainably sourced comonomers, additives and fillers to formulate novel PLA copolymers and compounds, the BIOnTOP project will deliver recyclable-by-design cost competitive packaging solutions that can be mechanically recycled, industrially/home composted or even suitable for anaerobic digestion. Moreover, the barrier properties of delivered bio-packaging trays, films and derived packaging, will be enhanced using removable protein-based coatings and a novel fatty acid grafting technology to decrease permeability and compete with fossil packaging. In the field of textile packaging , most used coatings are not bio-based and of different nature from the coated fibres, making material or organic recycling extremely difficult. New PLA coatings or fatty grafting will allow reprocessing without significant loss of properties. BIOnTOP packaging, based on >85% renewable resources, will be compatible with a broad range of packaging applications’ requirements but also multiple end of Life options. Our materials will be biodegradable in home composting conditions but also recyclable for multiple use secondary packaging. Based on new circular bioeconomy value chains, BIOnTOP will generate growth for EU bioplastics and end users’ industries in the food and personal care sectors with potential in many fields: BIOnTOP production is estimated to reach close to 9.6 Mton per year by 2030, overall leading to €40 M turnover and 170 new jobs. All in all, reducing the environmental footprint of plastics, our new bio-based packaging will have a significant positive social and environmental impact.