Project description
Bioplastic absorbent for non-toxic food pads
Synthetic superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) absorb and retain huge amounts of liquids. Today, they can be widely found in numerous applications from construction to personal hygiene. They are also important for the food industry to keep foods fresh due to their efficiency as pad absorbers. However, synthetic SAPs create an ecological threat immensely adding to planet pollution and have been found to be carcinogenic due to the secretion of toxic chemicals. The EU-funded CellSorb project will provide an important solution of novelty and economical and biodegradable non-toxic food pads made of bioplastics and natural absorbents from micro-cellulose materials offering high-capacity absorption. These fully compostable, renewable and cost-competitive products will effectively replace synthetic ones.
Objective
Food pad absorbers used in the fresh food packaging to soak up the exuded liquid and keep food fresh are made of synthetic superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) – i.e. 90% of the market share - due to their superior price-efficiency balance. Nevertheless, proven toxicity and carcinogenic effects related with their use have raised growing health concerns. To put these dangerous practices aside, the need of economical biodegradable and non-toxic pads to compete with the synthetic ones are on the rise.
CELLCOMB a Swedish company specialized in cellulose-based laminated products, has developed CELLSORB- a totally safe (i.e. non-toxic) closed food pad made from bioplastics and natural absorbent micro-cellulose material with the following superior features: 1) highly absorption capacity, similar with the performance of synthetic food pads, 2) It is fully compostable and 100% renewable, and 3) Competitive pricing over synthetic made food pads.
Through CELLSORB, we will position us as a competitive company in the framework of alternative natural absorbent materials for fresh food packaging. We expect to reach around 20% share of the European food pad industry by 2026. Our highly absorbent micro cellulose material will not only be constrained to the food pads but in a long term it will expand its application to other known verticals like diapers, feminine hygiene and wound care products, highly demanded.
The impact of CELLSORB in our whole business is expected to allow us growing 5-fold, and reaching an EBITDA of €12.1 million by 2026.
Fields of science
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-2b - SME Instrument (grant only and blended finance)Coordinator
661 32 Saffle
Sweden
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.