A zero waste process for producing all natural, biodegradable replacement additives for synthetic polymers and microspheres

Project Information

Bioweg

Grant agreement ID: 190108094

DOI

10.3030/190108094

Project closed

EC signature date 31 August 2022

Start date 1 July 2022

End date 30 June 2025

Funded under

• The European Innovation Council (EIC)

Total cost

€ 3 566 432,50

EU contribution

€ 2 421 314,00

Coordinated by

BIOWEG GmbH
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - Bioweg (A zero waste process for producing all natural, biodegradable replacement additives for synthetic polymers and microspheres)

Reporting period: 2023-07-01 to 2025-06-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The growing levels of microplastics in our environment have become a major global conservation issue. Nonbiodegradable synthetic polymers in consumer products contribute to microplastic pollution in surface water worldwide. Microplastic accumulates and transport toxins from the sludge and readily enter the food chain. It is becoming evident that these synthetic additives may interfere with human hormones, reduce fertility, and lead to nervous system issues and cancer. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) played a key role in the EU's ban on intentionally added microplastics, which aims to reduce the release of these microplastics into the environment. This ban, formalized by the European Commission in September 2023, restricts the sale of microplastics themselves and products containing them, with certain exceptions and transitional periods. The alternative ingredients should be biodegradable within 60 days, should not be from food sources, and sustainable with a lower carbon footprint. At BIOWEG, we are developing 100% biodegradable microbeads and a rheology modifier to replace solid and liquid microplastics, respectively. We have developed a sustainable process to produce these ingredients by utilizing waste and/or side streams from the food industry as raw material. Our production process has a minimal carbon footprint, is zero waste, and consumes little energy. During the EIC Project (190108094), the company is optimizing and scaling up the production process, and automating it to prepare for large scale orders to test with clients.

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 course of the project, our significant achievements are:
• Higher yield: We focused on improving the fermentation process to enhance the yield of microbial cellulose for our biobased products. We identified several waste streams for our fermentation feedstock through systematic experimentation and optimization. The fermentation yield will result in higher production efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
• Optimization of products: Our team dedicated extensive efforts to optimize the formulation and characteristics of our products by testing different parameters and variables. This led to the development of improved product formulations with enhanced performance and functionality to replace PMMA and other synthetic polymers from everyday consumer products.
• Product Testing & Validation with industrial players: To ensure the practical applicability of our products, we collaborated with industrial partners for extensive testing and validation. Through these partnerships, we were able to assess the performance and suitability of our products in real-world scenarios. The feedback and insights provided by the industrial players allowed us to further refine our products and align them with market needs.
Altogether, our efforts resulted in significant achievements, positioning us for successful commercialization and adoption of our biobased products in the target market.

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)

The results of our project demonstrate the viability and potential impacts of our innovative solutions. We have successfully developed biobased ingredients that offer superior functionality compared to traditional synthetic polymer based alternatives, while also addressing environmental concerns.
To ensure further uptake and success, a key need is acquiring new funding. Additional financial support would enable us to scale up production, conduct further research and development, and expand our reach into new markets. Access to markets and finance is crucial for commercialization and achieving widespread adoption of our products.
In addition to funding, supportive regulatory and standardization frameworks are essential. Clear guidelines and regulations that promote the use of biobased materials and incentivize sustainable practices would facilitate market acceptance and drive the adoption of our solutions.

BIOWEG’s sustainable, bio-based and biodegradable micropowder and rheology modifier