Within WP2, the poultry sector in five key EU countries—France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Poland—was analysed, covering breeding, meat processing, and ABP rendering. The study mapped company numbers, sizes, and feather feedstock volumes, and assessed waste management practices. Its aim was to understand the regional availability of feathers and how they are currently handled, providing a basis for developing circular solutions in the poultry industry.
Within WP3, business case arrangements addressed key supply chain hurdles—many of which, such as logistics and feather quality, persist in current and future value chains. UNLOCK’s demo cases were analysed for economic, technical, and sustainable feasibility. A feather-based bioeconomy is technically viable and environmentally promising but faces key challenges: economic viability depends on product value, technical issues involve water and energy, and regulation needs updated legal frameworks.
In WP4 feather-based bioplastic formulations have been developed for the 4 target applications and tested with good results regarding biodegradation behaviour and performance, which were selected for upscaling. Moreover, biodegradability of feathers treated by the main technologies involved in the project, as well as feather-based bioplastics have been investigated. These results are part of 3 publications of UNLOCK and another under revision.
Within WP5 the technologies for feather treatment have been demonstrated at demo scale. End-products prototypes have been prepared and validated in terms of performance in field and biodegradability according to the different schemes of EoL. Main results include associated deliverables to this WP5 as well as the construction of a demo plant for the sanitation and mechanical grinding of feathers with an optimised capacity of 300 Kg/h.
WP6 addressed the Sustainable, Economic and Social assessment of the project. The final LCA confirmed that feather-based biorefineries offer a viable circular alternative, especially when supported by renewable energy and water reuse. LCA reveals that final products like mulch films, geotextiles, and seed trays outperform fossil-based equivalents. Modelling and simulation showed that all three feather processing methods are technically feasible at industrial scale. Microbial fermentation offers the highest value but is complex to control. Steam explosion is energy-efficient, while milling is simpler yet water-intensive. Integration and resource efficiency are key to sustainability. The social LCA found that most social risks are not linked to feather use itself but to upstream factors like energy sourcing and equipment supply. Key concerns include occupational safety, public health, and potential corruption in procurement.
Regarding exploitation of results, specific business plans for UNLOCK demo cases have been prepared in WP7. Dissemination and Communication Strategy of WP8 have included the creation of the Visual identity of the project and communication materials (brochure, leaflet, website, social media, etc.) as well as the creation of specific contents to increase the impact of project results (publications, podcasts).
In summary, main results of UNLOCK include a collection of 60 deliverables, including 15 public deliverables, as well as 3 scientific articles already published and 3 additional under revision or submission, together with 18 publications for dissemination and communication purposes.
