Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BioLaMer (Proof of principle fly larvae biorefinery for biopolymer plastic production)
Berichtszeitraum: 2023-04-01 bis 2024-03-31
The context and overall objectives
Global Food Waste Challenge: Food waste refers to food that is discarded at the level of retailers, food service providers and consumers. When deposited in landfills, food waste tends to release methane, a greenhouse gas, which is 25 times potent than CO2. The food decomposition in landfills also creates public health problems.
Petrochemical Plastics Challenge: The omnipresence of plastic products in every sector has led to a massive accumulation of plastic waste, especially in the form of microplastics. Over time, they accumulate in the Earth and waterbodies as microplastics. These microplastics can persist in the environment for hundreds of years, accumulating in oceans, waterways, soil, and even in organisms ultimately affecting marine and land ecosystems causing potential long-term consequences for biodiversity and human health.
BioLaMer project aims to address these two significant challenges by demonstrating a new food waste value chain by developing a Back Soldier Fly larvae (Hermetia Illucens) based biorefinery for the production of biopolymers and their added-value products.
The BioLaMer circular biorefinery concept and overall objectives
To realize its objectives, BioLaMer will demonstrate 3 proof of principle biorefineries: Biorefinery 1: a larvae cultivation bioreactor to treat/reduce the mixed food waste; Biorefinery 2: a first-of-a-kind larvae biomass biorefinery for producing polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) by using larvae lipids and proteins as a unique feedstock; Biorefinery 3: the larvae shell biorefinery to produce chitosan biopolymers; and 4) a set of added value bioplastic products for food preservation and biomedical applications. Further, the environmental and economic potential of these biorefineries and sustainable products will be demonstrated via environmental (life cycle assessment) and economic (life cycle cost) performance assessments.
The project pathway to impact
BioLaMer aims to realize its impact through a designed set of communication dissemination exploitation actions targeted at relevant stakeholders including the public.
For food waste management, BioLaMer will demonstrate the potential of its new food waste management concept/model in reducing carbon emission compared to the existing food waste management models (e.g. composting and landfilling). This will be completed by:
• delivering a food waste to larvae conversion plant and demonstrating its efficacy in deploying them locally;
• investigating and addressing the regulatory requirements in the implementation of these plants; and
• engaging with relevant stakeholders to facilitate implementation of the new food waste management design.
In the bioplastics front, the pathway to impact will be by protecting the intellectual properties of the novel BioLaMer biorefineries for biopolymer production, and bio-composite materials for food preservation and biomedical applications. Formation of start-up(s) for PHA and bioplastic market development is envisaged.
Significance and scale of impact
Overall, BioLaMer will contribute to the EU Green Deal objectives and the high-gain aspects of BioLaMer perfectly align with the Circular Economy Action Plan and SDGs. BioLaMer will help policy development in the bioplastic, food and organic waste management areas by generating knowledge, developing new technologies and processes, and demonstrating a model for new waste management practice that will help deliver its wider impacts.
The start-ups formed via BioLaMer will enhance economic impact and job creation potential. The new food waste management practice will reduce carbon footprint by 15%; increase revenue for these stakeholders by 10% and create job opportunities (at least one job per plant).
Global Food Waste Challenge: Food waste refers to food that is discarded at the level of retailers, food service providers and consumers. When deposited in landfills, food waste tends to release methane, a greenhouse gas, which is 25 times potent than CO2. The food decomposition in landfills also creates public health problems.
Petrochemical Plastics Challenge: The omnipresence of plastic products in every sector has led to a massive accumulation of plastic waste, especially in the form of microplastics. Over time, they accumulate in the Earth and waterbodies as microplastics. These microplastics can persist in the environment for hundreds of years, accumulating in oceans, waterways, soil, and even in organisms ultimately affecting marine and land ecosystems causing potential long-term consequences for biodiversity and human health.
BioLaMer project aims to address these two significant challenges by demonstrating a new food waste value chain by developing a Back Soldier Fly larvae (Hermetia Illucens) based biorefinery for the production of biopolymers and their added-value products.
The BioLaMer circular biorefinery concept and overall objectives
To realize its objectives, BioLaMer will demonstrate 3 proof of principle biorefineries: Biorefinery 1: a larvae cultivation bioreactor to treat/reduce the mixed food waste; Biorefinery 2: a first-of-a-kind larvae biomass biorefinery for producing polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) by using larvae lipids and proteins as a unique feedstock; Biorefinery 3: the larvae shell biorefinery to produce chitosan biopolymers; and 4) a set of added value bioplastic products for food preservation and biomedical applications. Further, the environmental and economic potential of these biorefineries and sustainable products will be demonstrated via environmental (life cycle assessment) and economic (life cycle cost) performance assessments.
The project pathway to impact
BioLaMer aims to realize its impact through a designed set of communication dissemination exploitation actions targeted at relevant stakeholders including the public.
For food waste management, BioLaMer will demonstrate the potential of its new food waste management concept/model in reducing carbon emission compared to the existing food waste management models (e.g. composting and landfilling). This will be completed by:
• delivering a food waste to larvae conversion plant and demonstrating its efficacy in deploying them locally;
• investigating and addressing the regulatory requirements in the implementation of these plants; and
• engaging with relevant stakeholders to facilitate implementation of the new food waste management design.
In the bioplastics front, the pathway to impact will be by protecting the intellectual properties of the novel BioLaMer biorefineries for biopolymer production, and bio-composite materials for food preservation and biomedical applications. Formation of start-up(s) for PHA and bioplastic market development is envisaged.
Significance and scale of impact
Overall, BioLaMer will contribute to the EU Green Deal objectives and the high-gain aspects of BioLaMer perfectly align with the Circular Economy Action Plan and SDGs. BioLaMer will help policy development in the bioplastic, food and organic waste management areas by generating knowledge, developing new technologies and processes, and demonstrating a model for new waste management practice that will help deliver its wider impacts.
The start-ups formed via BioLaMer will enhance economic impact and job creation potential. The new food waste management practice will reduce carbon footprint by 15%; increase revenue for these stakeholders by 10% and create job opportunities (at least one job per plant).
BioLaMer has progressed significantly in its first year in i) chitosan synthesis from larval shells, ii) PHA production from larval biomass, iii) demonstration of larvae cultivation working prototype, and iv) development of an innovative bio-composite superabsorbent material that is biodegradable and with significant fluid absorption capacity and inherent antibacterial properties enabling them to be used in food shelf-life extension (food soak pad) and in hygiene products. We have identified an effective technique to separate chitin shells from larvae and its sequential process steps for chitosan production so far. For PHA production, we obtained up to 65% yield using a single microbial culture. The SABs are screened to be antibacterial vis minimum inhibitory concentration tests and demonstrated easy scale up potential. We have made agreement with a local urban garden in Barcelona (Els Horts del Clot) to the working prototype of the BSF bioreactor to investigate its real-world operation (intermediate impact). Further, the SSH partner has completed perception and barrier analysis of the biolamer biorefinery and bioplastics among the identified stakeholders and our LCA and LCC partners have made significant progress in assessing BioLaMer LCA performance (based on qualitative data) and cost-benefit ratio.
In the first reporting period, BioLaMer (TCD) has developed a biopolymer-based biodegradable superabsorbent. We are in the preparation stage of a patent for ‘this material and its preparation process’. We anticipate submitting the patent application by July/August 2024. We further plan to apply for the EIC Transition Open funding as this biodegradable SAB has huge potential in a number of applications including hygiene products, food packaging (soak pad technology), hydroponics and agriculture. We will demonstrate the food packaging potential of SABs within the next period of the project. The plan is to protect the IPR through patent and exploit via a start-up creation. We plan to use the EIC Transition Open fund to carry out scale-up research and demonstration, and to carry out the business development activities such as developing access to markets and finance, commercialisation, internationalisation, supportive regulatory and standardisation framework, etc.