Project description DEENESFRITPL Recyclability of single-use plastic personal protection equipment The COVID-19 pandemic has created more plastic waste due to the increased use of disposable personal protection equipment like masks, gloves, and single-use plastics. In this context, the EU-funded BIOP project will focus on single-use polyethylene and polypropylene that can be upcycled into lighter value-added molecules. In turn, these can be used as building blocks to synthetise new biobased polymeric units in combination with specific biomass-derived platform chemicals. Paving the way towards a circular economy, the project will result in the valorisation of plastic and biomass wastes to produce biopolymers. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective BIOP aims to address one of the most critical environmental issues derived from human activities, plastic wastes. Far from having a suitable alternative to palliate their impact and promote their recyclability, the emerged pandemic alarm associated to the fast coronavirus (COVID-19) spreading worsens detrimentally the scenario. Disposable Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) used by healthcare professionals produces vast quantities of plastic waste, being worthwhile to develop biodegradable PPE for the future, which would allow alternative ways to process this waste. In addition, it is reasonably urgent to propose an efficient alternative to handle the giant amount of non-biodegradable plastics already generated (mainly protective suits, boot covers and single-use gloves). The project focuses mostly on single-use polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) recycling into lighter value-added molecules (upcycling) that can be used as building blocks to synthetize new biobased polymeric units, in combination with specific biomass-derived platform chemicals such as 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA). Hence, going through the plastics to bioplastics concept, the project’s guiding light is the joint valorization of plastic and biomass wastes to finally produce BIOPolymers, approach that add value to both wastes thus paving the way towards a circular economy. With this purpose, the project’s specific challenges concerns 1) PE/PP conversion to lower molecular weight alkenes through the development of specific processes and highly selective catalysts, 2) 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF, biomass platform molecule) transformation to FDCA over the new designed and optimized catalysts and 3) joint conversion of alkenes (derived from plastics) and HMF (one-pot oxidation) thus allowing cost savings and technologies coupling. Fields of science engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwaste managementwaste treatment processesrecyclingengineering and technologyindustrial biotechnologybiomaterialsbioplastics Keywords wastes upcycling biomass valorisation Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Main Programme H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility Topic(s) MSCA-IF-2020 - Individual Fellowships Call for proposal H2020-MSCA-IF-2020 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF) Coordinator UNIVERSIDAD DE SEVILLA Net EU contribution € 160 932,48 Address Calle s. fernando 4 41004 Sevilla Spain See on map Region Sur Andalucía Sevilla Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00
