Project description
Converting plastic waste into biodegradable chemicals
The escalating threat of plastic pollution arises from the excessive use of plastic products and their release into the environment. Polyethylene (PE) stands out as the most commonly employed plastic, yet its non-degradable nature results in either incineration or disposal in landfills (constituting 67 %). Merely 12 % of plastic waste undergoes recycling, with less than 1 % achieving transformation into high-quality products. In this context, the EU-funded ACTPAC project introduces a comprehensive, industry-viable method for converting PE into alkanes, high-value chemicals, and fully biodegradable polyesters. This initiative aims to establish systems to transform alkanes into monomers, facilitating the production of eco-friendly polyesters for diverse applications. By doing so, the project contributes zero-waste solutions to the management of plastic waste.
Objective
Plastic pollution has become a clear threat to many environmental niches and ecosystems, due to rapidly increasing use of plastic products and leakage to the environment. Polyethylene (PE) is the most widely used and the largest-volume plastic (c.a. 30% of total plastics). Due to the absence of reactive groups, the C-C backboned plastics are often categorized as non-degradable; generally disposed by incineration or landfill (67%). About 12% plastic wastes are recycled as the goods with inferior quality and performance. The real catalytic route for upcycling of PE wastes into value-added products is <1%. It is clear that there is an urgent need to develop new routes for innovative upcycling of plastic wastes towards a paradigm shift in the plastic economy.
ACTPAC proposes a complete value-added industry-viable path to convert PE firstly into alkanes; then into high-value chemicals (monomers); and finally into PE-like but fully biodegradable polyesters. Beyond the state-of-the art technologies, ACTPAC will design and deploy new catalysts and cross-metathesis modes for highly active and selective metathesis of PE into linear alkanes with a narrow distribution range (C6-C18, >90%). Two separate systems: multi-enzyme machinery assembled in the recombinant cells, and metabolic engineered yeast system, dedicated to the transformation of alkanes into monomers will be developed. Monomers of diversified chain-lengths will be used for the synthesis of polyesters presenting different properties and polymer performances, assignable for various applications. A zero-waste solution to the plastic waste management is thus created to keep them out of the environment, and reclaim their values. The new properties and specific applications of the new polyester plastics produced from upcycling of PE waste will bring up the SMEs with new business opportunities by scalable, flexible and robust multi-product manufacturing processes for on-demand and small-volume output production.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences chemical sciences polymer sciences
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences environmental sciences pollution
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
- natural sciences chemical sciences catalysis
- engineering and technology environmental engineering waste management waste treatment processes
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.2.6 - Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-IA - HORIZON Innovation Actions
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-CL6-2023-ZEROPOLLUTION-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
8000 Aarhus C
Denmark
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.