Periodic Reporting for period 2 - PRESERVE (High performance sustainable bio-based packaging with tailored end of life and upcycled secondary use)
Reporting period: 2022-07-01 to 2023-12-31
Globally, 360 million tons of plastic are produced annually, of which up to 40% are consumed by the food packaging sectors. Currently, only around 32% of the resulting plastic waste generated in the EU is recycled, while the rest is incinerated or disposed in landfills. This contributes to the depletion of our limited resources and is hard to accept in view of EU’s resource efficiency objectives. Moreover, an unacceptable share of 32 % of the plastic packaging ends up leaking in the environment, outside of controlled end of life (EoL) management systems leading to dramatic long-term pollution. More than half of the used food packaging collected in municipal wastes cannot be recycled using currently available techniques due to their heterogeneity and the presence of leftover products. Given that packaging consumes more than 40% of all plastic produced each year, improving its circularity from origin to subsequent life cycles is more than urgent. Although bioplastics show a growing market, their share among plastics remains limited. Increasing the share of bioplastics in the packaging sector will contribute to a responsible use of resources.
To address these challenges, PRESERVE will enhance bio-based packaging in terms of properties that currently limit the application of bioplastics as well as in terms of EoL. To achieve the ambitious goal of developing packaging solutions that have the potential to replace more than 60% of all food and beverage packaging by 2030, different strategies will be used. These strategies aim to boost packaging performance in the first and subsequent life cycles of the materials and comprise the application of biobased coatings and adhesives, application of electron beam radiation (eBeam), self- and microfibrillar reinforcement and conventional additivation.
To address these challenges, PRESERVE will enhance bio-based packaging in terms of properties that currently limit the application of bioplastics as well as in terms of EoL. To achieve the ambitious goal of developing packaging solutions that have the potential to replace more than 60% of all food and beverage packaging by 2030, different strategies will be used. These strategies aim to boost packaging performance in the first and subsequent life cycles of the materials and comprise the application of biobased coatings and adhesives, application of electron beam radiation (eBeam), self- and microfibrillar reinforcement and conventional additivation.
During the second reporting period (M18-M36):
Bio-based functional coatings and adhesives were successfully developed and applied to polymeric, board, and textile substrates. PRESERVE packaging solutions utilise these materials to achieve specific properties and end-of-life outcomes for each packaging application. PHA-based coatings, different grades of medium chain length PHAs that have been produced and commercially available grades of PHAs were used to optimise solvent-based and solvent-free coating formulations. It was necessary to focus on commercially available PHAs for coating formulation and extrusion of films as a contingency plan. A whey protein coatings was developed and tested on fibre-based substrates. Protein coated films were subjected to lamination trials producing first sets of multilayer material showing satisfactory results. Difficulties in the anchorage of the protein layer to some of the polymer substrate films were identified. Several mitigation actions were needed. This protein coating formulation is currently further upscaled to industrial scale. The functional finishing coating, which effectively reduces the release of microplastics from textiles. this has been successfully optimised in RP2 and scaled up to a semi-industrial level. Upon upscaling, the prevention of microplastic release was even more effective despite lower coating grammage. This is a significant achievement that demonstrates the applicability of the proposed solution.
PRESERVE provides personal care and transport packaging solutions that showcase the use of upcycled bio-based materials and blends, drastically minimising the environmental impact of diverse end-user industries. In order to facilitate home composting or soil biodegradation of PLA in cases where material recycling may be limited, the 2nd generation enzymated PLA masterbatch was successfully tested in various potential applications, including PLA grades with low melting points, self-reinforced PLA, and different types of processing technologies such as blowing extrusion and injection moulding. Electron beam irradiation has been tested for improving mechanical and barrier properties and upscaled to pilot plant level. The self and microfibrillar reinforcement of polymers was investigated to enable the upcycling of biomaterials previously considered non-recyclable for reuse as value-added microfibrillar reinforced polymer composites with improved mechanical and barrier properties. Self-reinforced PLA was further optimised and successfully upscaled. The produced films were used to assemble the first multilayer demonstrator and preliminary thermoforming trials were performed. Microfibrillar reinforced blends developed were modified and upscaled. First preliminary demonstrators in forms of bottles were produced.
Trials were conducted on various substrate-coating combinations obtaining multilayer structures. Delamination test demonstrated that the developed protein coating can be enzymatically degraded. Tests on the biodegradation of several compounds used in PRESERVE are either ongoing or were completed. These compounds include PHA obtained by fermentation, enzymated PLA, self-reinforced PLA, board coated with protein or PHA, PHA coated PLA, and whey protein cast films. Experiments on protein cast films are finished and the biodegradability of these films was tested in several environments. Enzymatic depolymerisation of PLA into oligomers (OLAs) was successfully demonstrated.
Preliminary dataset related to safety, environmental, social and economic sust. will be included in deliverable D7.2. Regulatory specifications of the prototypes as well as changes in the regulatory frameworks and standards to strengthen and implement the bioeconomy and circular economy in Europe are monitored to ensure compliance of the developed materials. Activities on standardisation, policy and regulatory framework go very well with clustering activities as the former pose a challenge also for other research projects funded under the same call. Clustering collaboration increases the visibility of PRESERVE. Communication and Dissemination measures have been implemented to boost and to consolidate PRESERVE visibility, to reach out wider audience and finally to maximise the impacts of the project. Website, social media, press releases, videos, articles for non-scientific journals, and newsletter were potentially exploited. Furthermore, dissemination activities allowed the disclosure of project results including online and in-person workshops. Moreover, 10 scientific contributions have been generated in the form of articles, conference papers, scientific posters and scientific abstracts. The consortium has also participated in scientific conferences and symposiums
Bio-based functional coatings and adhesives were successfully developed and applied to polymeric, board, and textile substrates. PRESERVE packaging solutions utilise these materials to achieve specific properties and end-of-life outcomes for each packaging application. PHA-based coatings, different grades of medium chain length PHAs that have been produced and commercially available grades of PHAs were used to optimise solvent-based and solvent-free coating formulations. It was necessary to focus on commercially available PHAs for coating formulation and extrusion of films as a contingency plan. A whey protein coatings was developed and tested on fibre-based substrates. Protein coated films were subjected to lamination trials producing first sets of multilayer material showing satisfactory results. Difficulties in the anchorage of the protein layer to some of the polymer substrate films were identified. Several mitigation actions were needed. This protein coating formulation is currently further upscaled to industrial scale. The functional finishing coating, which effectively reduces the release of microplastics from textiles. this has been successfully optimised in RP2 and scaled up to a semi-industrial level. Upon upscaling, the prevention of microplastic release was even more effective despite lower coating grammage. This is a significant achievement that demonstrates the applicability of the proposed solution.
PRESERVE provides personal care and transport packaging solutions that showcase the use of upcycled bio-based materials and blends, drastically minimising the environmental impact of diverse end-user industries. In order to facilitate home composting or soil biodegradation of PLA in cases where material recycling may be limited, the 2nd generation enzymated PLA masterbatch was successfully tested in various potential applications, including PLA grades with low melting points, self-reinforced PLA, and different types of processing technologies such as blowing extrusion and injection moulding. Electron beam irradiation has been tested for improving mechanical and barrier properties and upscaled to pilot plant level. The self and microfibrillar reinforcement of polymers was investigated to enable the upcycling of biomaterials previously considered non-recyclable for reuse as value-added microfibrillar reinforced polymer composites with improved mechanical and barrier properties. Self-reinforced PLA was further optimised and successfully upscaled. The produced films were used to assemble the first multilayer demonstrator and preliminary thermoforming trials were performed. Microfibrillar reinforced blends developed were modified and upscaled. First preliminary demonstrators in forms of bottles were produced.
Trials were conducted on various substrate-coating combinations obtaining multilayer structures. Delamination test demonstrated that the developed protein coating can be enzymatically degraded. Tests on the biodegradation of several compounds used in PRESERVE are either ongoing or were completed. These compounds include PHA obtained by fermentation, enzymated PLA, self-reinforced PLA, board coated with protein or PHA, PHA coated PLA, and whey protein cast films. Experiments on protein cast films are finished and the biodegradability of these films was tested in several environments. Enzymatic depolymerisation of PLA into oligomers (OLAs) was successfully demonstrated.
Preliminary dataset related to safety, environmental, social and economic sust. will be included in deliverable D7.2. Regulatory specifications of the prototypes as well as changes in the regulatory frameworks and standards to strengthen and implement the bioeconomy and circular economy in Europe are monitored to ensure compliance of the developed materials. Activities on standardisation, policy and regulatory framework go very well with clustering activities as the former pose a challenge also for other research projects funded under the same call. Clustering collaboration increases the visibility of PRESERVE. Communication and Dissemination measures have been implemented to boost and to consolidate PRESERVE visibility, to reach out wider audience and finally to maximise the impacts of the project. Website, social media, press releases, videos, articles for non-scientific journals, and newsletter were potentially exploited. Furthermore, dissemination activities allowed the disclosure of project results including online and in-person workshops. Moreover, 10 scientific contributions have been generated in the form of articles, conference papers, scientific posters and scientific abstracts. The consortium has also participated in scientific conferences and symposiums
During the forthcoming months we expect to finalise the specification of food demonstrators and to produce the appropriate amount of these demonstrators to provide to all partners. This will allow us to validate the developed demonstrators regarding their suitability for packaging the intended products. Furthermore, pending tasks on sorting, delamination and recycling will be scaled up and intensified. Finally, PRESERVE will pursue the finalization of all technical and dissemination activities needed for the achievement of most objectives and goals.
Also, at least three more scientific articles are in the pipeline to be published in the upcoming months, whilst other topics are being considered for further publication before the end of the project.
Also, at least three more scientific articles are in the pipeline to be published in the upcoming months, whilst other topics are being considered for further publication before the end of the project.