Periodic Reporting for period 2 - BIO-PLASTICS EUROPE (Developing and Implementing Sustainability-Based Solutions for Bio-Based Plastic Production and Use to Preserve Land and Sea Environmental Quality in Europe)
Reporting period: 2021-04-01 to 2022-09-30
The project “Developing and implementing sustainability-based solutions for bio-based plastic production and use to preserve land and sea environmental quality in Europe” (BIO-PLASTICS EUROPE) seeks to deliver sustainable strategies and solutions for bio-based plastics production in support of the EU-Plastic Strategy and a circular economy. It takes into account the complex and dynamic processes of societal transformation triggered by a new awareness of the use of bio-based plastics. Using the opportunity which emerges from grounded participatory research and innovation process, BIO-PLASTICS EUROPE focuses on innovative product design, health and safety standards, end-of-life solutions, and environmental and economic assessments of the life cycle of products. An additional aim is to develop business models for the efficient reuse and recycling of bio-based plastics, while ensuring the safety of recycled materials for the environment and humans.
The OVERALL OBJECTIVE of the BIO-PLASTICS EUROPE project is:
The development of sustainable strategies and solutions for bio-based plastic products, as well as the development of approaches, focused on circular innovation for the whole bio-plastics system. These may be deployed to support policymaking, innovation, and technology transfer.
During the first reporting period, the project has already moved forward to fulfill the overall objective by working towards the six specific objectives identified below.
1 - To define, test and deploy innovative product design strategies and to pursue specific Innovative Business Models based on these strategies, targeting efficient reuse and recycling approaches and solutions for bio-based plastics, including those required to ensure the health and safety of recycled materials when used for toys, packaging foodstuffs and shipping, fishing, and aquaculture equipment.
2 - Map current waste collection and management schemes as well as recycling inefficiencies, identifying, listing, and addressing some of the technical and economic barriers to bio-based plastics recycling as regards established and/or alternative recycling options, also including safety and impacts on ecosystems and define key priority areas for enhancing waste collection and management.
3 - Investigate the potential impacts of bioplastic on the terrestrial and aquatic environments, including on flora, fauna and possible implications to human health.
4 - Build a biodegradable plastics sustainability framework, also by producing a “Bioplastic Safety Protocol” (as a reliable means to ensure the safety of bioplastic materials), and by a mapping focusing on the applications where biodegradable and compostable solutions could support public policies.
5 - Develop Innovative Business Models facilitating efficient reuse and recycling strategies and solutions, creating a better framework for systemic innovation and uptake of results through broad stakeholder engagement, improving the professional skills and competencies of those working and being trained to work within the blue economy and the bioeconomy, through the execution of a set of training activities.
6 - The design, testing, and deployment of a coordinated communication strategy and the related tools for cooperative knowledge sharing of Best Practices and Lessons Learned, which is another foundation of overall project success.
The OVERALL OBJECTIVE of the BIO-PLASTICS EUROPE project is:
The development of sustainable strategies and solutions for bio-based plastic products, as well as the development of approaches, focused on circular innovation for the whole bio-plastics system. These may be deployed to support policymaking, innovation, and technology transfer.
During the first reporting period, the project has already moved forward to fulfill the overall objective by working towards the six specific objectives identified below.
1 - To define, test and deploy innovative product design strategies and to pursue specific Innovative Business Models based on these strategies, targeting efficient reuse and recycling approaches and solutions for bio-based plastics, including those required to ensure the health and safety of recycled materials when used for toys, packaging foodstuffs and shipping, fishing, and aquaculture equipment.
2 - Map current waste collection and management schemes as well as recycling inefficiencies, identifying, listing, and addressing some of the technical and economic barriers to bio-based plastics recycling as regards established and/or alternative recycling options, also including safety and impacts on ecosystems and define key priority areas for enhancing waste collection and management.
3 - Investigate the potential impacts of bioplastic on the terrestrial and aquatic environments, including on flora, fauna and possible implications to human health.
4 - Build a biodegradable plastics sustainability framework, also by producing a “Bioplastic Safety Protocol” (as a reliable means to ensure the safety of bioplastic materials), and by a mapping focusing on the applications where biodegradable and compostable solutions could support public policies.
5 - Develop Innovative Business Models facilitating efficient reuse and recycling strategies and solutions, creating a better framework for systemic innovation and uptake of results through broad stakeholder engagement, improving the professional skills and competencies of those working and being trained to work within the blue economy and the bioeconomy, through the execution of a set of training activities.
6 - The design, testing, and deployment of a coordinated communication strategy and the related tools for cooperative knowledge sharing of Best Practices and Lessons Learned, which is another foundation of overall project success.
The BIO-PLASTICS EUROPE Consortium of 22 partners initiated its activities on the 1st of October 2019. Although the project was affected with COVID-19 pandemic, the consortium members managed to overcome the difficulties and the project did not suffer major delay in its execution.
Eight application fields were selected that cover a range of material properties and processing methods on land (soft and rigid food packaging, beach toys, agricultural mulch film, reusable cutlery) and aquatic (fishing bait, rigid fish crates, and marine geomaterial) environments.
A total of five plastic compounds (prototypes) were devised for the eight applications described above (plus development of the multi-layered film). These starting compounds were designed from raw materials that are commercially available, to ensure the marketability of all finalized products. After a 1st round of tests (summer 2021), a modification of compounds took place to improve their properties. Selected polymers for the demo applications are polylactic acid (PLA), polybutylene succinate (PBS), and one type of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHBV). 1st round test results from prototype degradability and toxicity both in sea and soil, under controlled conditions, and during composting, have been obtained. Summarized results are allocated into five test classes and have been used for relevant modification of the compounds which are currently under 2nd round of tests.
The description of the value chain, a mapping of actors in the European bioplastics industry, the elaboration of present and future market needs, as well as PEST, SWOT, and GAP analyses, followed by a literature review of existing business models for bio-based and biodegradable plastics, have been finalized. The Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) has been launched in September 2022 and content for a summer school is under development (planned in June 2023). A new Bioplastics Safety Protocol is under development as well as Sustainability Framework.
Two European networks have been established: "European Bioplastics Research Network (EBRN)" which runs as a LinkedIn group counting over 780 members and having successfully organised 7 online events - (reaching out to nearly 800 participants, and the “Historic Cities Against Plastic Waste” (HISCAP) network, which consists of 78 members and 6 events organised reaching about 400 stakeholders.
Eight application fields were selected that cover a range of material properties and processing methods on land (soft and rigid food packaging, beach toys, agricultural mulch film, reusable cutlery) and aquatic (fishing bait, rigid fish crates, and marine geomaterial) environments.
A total of five plastic compounds (prototypes) were devised for the eight applications described above (plus development of the multi-layered film). These starting compounds were designed from raw materials that are commercially available, to ensure the marketability of all finalized products. After a 1st round of tests (summer 2021), a modification of compounds took place to improve their properties. Selected polymers for the demo applications are polylactic acid (PLA), polybutylene succinate (PBS), and one type of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHBV). 1st round test results from prototype degradability and toxicity both in sea and soil, under controlled conditions, and during composting, have been obtained. Summarized results are allocated into five test classes and have been used for relevant modification of the compounds which are currently under 2nd round of tests.
The description of the value chain, a mapping of actors in the European bioplastics industry, the elaboration of present and future market needs, as well as PEST, SWOT, and GAP analyses, followed by a literature review of existing business models for bio-based and biodegradable plastics, have been finalized. The Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) has been launched in September 2022 and content for a summer school is under development (planned in June 2023). A new Bioplastics Safety Protocol is under development as well as Sustainability Framework.
Two European networks have been established: "European Bioplastics Research Network (EBRN)" which runs as a LinkedIn group counting over 780 members and having successfully organised 7 online events - (reaching out to nearly 800 participants, and the “Historic Cities Against Plastic Waste” (HISCAP) network, which consists of 78 members and 6 events organised reaching about 400 stakeholders.
The BIO-PLASTICS EUROPE project is strongly engaging stakeholders to become part of the solution in the field of bio-based and biodegradable plastics. Within the Stakeholder Engagement Strategy (SES), five levels of stakeholder engagement have been identified. For each of them, different protocols have been established to define the work and collect information within a centralized and efficient system. At the moment, over 2,000 stakeholders have already been introduced to this system. A close collaboration has been established with the European Bioplastics Association, through mutual participation in events organized by both parties, several meetings, discussions, and active participation in a joint communication of progress within the BIO-PLASTICS EUROPE project.
To underscore the relevance of the BIO-PLASTICS EUROPE project by referring to a current plastic waste problem, the project developed an augmented reality solution to increase awareness of the need to reduce plastic littering, visualizing the issue of current pandemic usage of face masks by offering information about their efficiency, sustainability, and raising awareness of their slow, harmful degradation to the environment.
The BIO-PLASTICS EUROPE project contributed successfully to reaching the expected impacts within the 1st and 2nd reporting period (RP1 and 2). An important impact of the project is considered to be achieved via scientific publications. Within RP1 and 2, a total of 26 scientific publications have been published in high-impact international journals, and many new scientific publications are expected to be produced in the following reporting period.
To underscore the relevance of the BIO-PLASTICS EUROPE project by referring to a current plastic waste problem, the project developed an augmented reality solution to increase awareness of the need to reduce plastic littering, visualizing the issue of current pandemic usage of face masks by offering information about their efficiency, sustainability, and raising awareness of their slow, harmful degradation to the environment.
The BIO-PLASTICS EUROPE project contributed successfully to reaching the expected impacts within the 1st and 2nd reporting period (RP1 and 2). An important impact of the project is considered to be achieved via scientific publications. Within RP1 and 2, a total of 26 scientific publications have been published in high-impact international journals, and many new scientific publications are expected to be produced in the following reporting period.