Project description
New and improved biodegradable plastic
Plastic pollution is a serious environmental challenge. There is a clear need for biobased and compostable plastics compatible with current production processes. Bioplastics are key to reducing pollution and increasing sustainability. However, biodegradable plastics only make up a small fraction of the plastics produced. This is because conventional polylactic acid (PLA), which comes from renewable resources, has certain technical limitations that hinder its wide application. In this context, the EU-funded BlockPLA project will bring to market a biodegradable PLA grade that has enhanced technical properties. This new material solves the drawbacks that PLA currently shows for packaging applications for the food and beverage industry, pharmaceutical and biomedical industry, cosmetic industry and others. It’s also slightly cheaper to produce than conventional PLA.
Objective
Bioplastics are an essential part of our efforts to reduce pollution and increase sustainability. Of these, the most ecoefficient bioplastic is PLA as it is biodegradable, requires 50% less energy and produces 10 times less emissions in comparison to standard thermoplastics like PET and PP. Furthermore, as it does not need to be recycled, it not only saves the energy and cost involved, but also the fact that only a fraction of the plastic produced reaches the recycling plant, the rest ending up in landfill or the sea.
However, biodegradable plastics only make up approximately 0.2% of plastics produced in 2014. This is because conventional PLA has certain technical limitations which reduce the number of marketable applications where it can be used. For example, it cannot compete with standard thermoplastic grades used in packaging applications (such as PET and PE), in terms of oxygen and water vapour barrier and thermal properties, which are the most demanded properties for packaging requirements.
Advanced & Functional Technologies for Biocomposites S.L (ADBIOCOMPOSITES) has developed an innovative, biodegradable PLA grade named BlockPLA which has enhanced technical properties: oxygen and water vapour barrier, thermal stability, transparency and flexibility. BlockPLA solves the drawbacks that PLA currently shows for packaging applications. In addition, BlockPLA has food contact approval and requires less energy to be produced. Production costs are slightly lower than conventional PLA. Therefore, BlockPLA is a real biodegradable alternative to PET, PP and PLA for packaging applications in the food and beverage industry, pharmaceutical and biomedical industry, home care packaging, cosmetics industry and others.
ADBIOCOMPOSITES aims to use the SME instrument to scale up the production of BlockPLA and bring it to the packaging market, generating 37 new jobs and above €10 million revenues.
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.
- engineering and technology environmental engineering waste management waste treatment processes recycling
- engineering and technology industrial biotechnology biomaterials bioplastics polylactic acid
- engineering and technology other engineering and technologies food technology
- engineering and technology materials engineering composites biocomposites
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences environmental sciences pollution
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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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H2020-EU.2.3. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.3. - PRIORITY 'Societal challenges
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H2020-EU.2.1. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies
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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.
SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2
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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) H2020-EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020
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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.
46980 PATERNA
Spain
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
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.