Project description
Safe and sustainable bio-based plastic packaging
As part of the EU’s Green Deal, the plastics strategy calls for transformation in the way plastic packaging and products are designed, produced, used and recycled. Included in its recommendations is the replacement of conventional plastics with safe and sustainable bio-based and biodegradable packaging alternatives. The EU-funded ViSS project aims to produce and validate a bio-based plastic from the copolymer poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) commonly known as PHBV. ViSS will source PHBV from industrial organic residues and transform it into quality food packaging that is non-toxic, recyclable and biodegradable. It is estimated that adoption of the PHBV circular supply chain will achieve a 58 % reduction of CO2 emissions compared to its petroleum-based equivalents.
Objective
The European plastics policy highlights bio-based plastics as a key piece to solve the negative impact of fossil-based plastics in the environment. One of the most promising biodegradable biopolymers is the polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) family that can replace these fossil-based plastics in many applications. They are synthesised by microorganisms from renewable carbon sources and exhibit good properties and excellent biodegradability.
In this sense, ViSS project will create a new value chain around PHBV (a copolymer of the PHAs family) as a safe, sustainable, and cost-effective alternative to conventional plastics, especially for short shelf-life food packaging applications due to its excellent properties including flexibility, processability, recyclability and biodegradability in relevant environments (soil, freshwater, marine, industrial composting and home composting). ViSS PHBV will be produced from industrial organic residues and will be formulated and compounded to be transformed and validated as high-performance food packaging, being mechanically recyclable and biodegradable.
Moreover, the whole ViSS circular value chain will be constructed upon a collaborative approach and under safe and sustainable criteria, accomplishing EU regulations and ensuring policy alignment, while the project will deliver and disseminate digital tools and resources which will favour an increased social readiness and marketability of bio-based plastics, fostering a ViSS wide adoption and replication.
Our project gathers 15 partners from 6 European countries leaders in different fields of knowledge, from bioplastic production to validation in real packaging applications.
Adoption of ViSS value chain will produce relevant outcomes as improved functionalities and environmental performances: reduction of 57.8% of CO2 emissions compared to fossil counterparts, yearly saving 11.7 kt of crude oil, recirculating 288.95 kt of biomass, avoiding the use of 2.2 kt of hazardous substances.
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Funding Scheme
HORIZON-IA - HORIZON Innovation ActionsCoordinator
30840 Alhama De Murcia
Spain
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.