A fungi-based biotechnological platform for competitive multi-stream waste revalorization.

Project Information

WASTE2WEALTH

Grant agreement ID: 101218750

DOI

10.3030/101218750

EC signature date 29 May 2025

Start date 1 June 2025

End date 31 May 2027

Funded under

• The European Innovation Council (EIC)

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 2 496 055,35

Coordinated by

NOVOBIOM
Belgium

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - WASTE2WEALTH (A fungi-based biotechnological platform for competitive multi-stream waste revalorization.)

Reporting period: 2025-06-01 to 2026-05-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The EC’s Circular Economy Action Plan targets textiles as one of the sectors to be drastically transformed into a circular economy. However, the recycling of textile waste is severely limited by the need to accurately separate the different types of fibre, as they require separate recycling processes. This results in most of it currently being incinerated or landfilled. At Novobiom, we valorise widely available resources currently under-exploited by harnessing the amazing ability that fungi exhibit in nature to recycle a wide range of materials. Our biorefinery platform implements a tailored solid-state fungal fermentation process, based on our exclusive fungal strain bank and fungal strain selection, development and optimisation process.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During the first period of the grant, we have:
- Refined Novobiom in-silico biorefinery, integrating innovative modules with a dedicated software stack
- Conducted targeted selection of high-potential fungal candidates and laid the foundations for a strain breeding program
- Upgraded and optimized our biorefinery processes and developed comprehensive blueprints, schedules and economic models for future demonstrator / industrial capacity

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

By valorising unused textile waste, we offer a cost-effective alternative to recycle mixed waste streams, drastically reducing the textile products incinerated or sent to landfill while producing high-quality products (biosurfactants to substitute chemical-based surfactants, enzymes and biogas) at lower prices. These products are of interest in various industries (cosmetics, cleaning products, etc.).