Project description
New strategies for sustainable management of plastic waste
Plastic waste is a huge danger to the environment and a large contributor to climate change, with plastic packaging representing up to 60 % of plastic waste in Europe. It has become a serious issue concerning both waste management and potential environmental repercussions. The issue has reached such levels specifically due to the use of polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in plastic, which makes its sustainable management a difficult challenge. The EU-funded upPE-T project aims to overcome this challenge by developing PE and PET upcycling using enzymatic technologies, and later use the products obtained from this biological degradation to produce bioplastics for food and beverage packaging.
Objective
The upPE-T project aims upcycling recalcitrant oil-based plastics by bioconversion into biodegradable bioplastic for food and drink packaging production.
Plastic packaging, which make up nearly 60% of the total plastic waste in Europe, is highly problematic from a waste management- and environmental- point of view due to their durability and resistance to degradation. Polyethylene (PE) and Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are the leading plastic use in food and drink packaging (43% PE and 19% PET). The sustainable management of this plastic waste has become a very challenging problem for global society.
In upPE-T we will include sustainable strategies as an alternative for plastic chemical degradation. The consortium will improve PE and PET depolymerization through enzymatic engineering to positively impact food and drink packaging recycling rate and achieving the European Union expected impact. In upPE-T we will turn PE and PET waste streams via enzymatic degradation and microbial assimilation into raw material for the production of biodegradable bioplastics. In addition, we will simplify the downstream bioplastic recovery process from cell biomass using an efficient and green extraction approach in which toxic solvents are not used. Finally, together with customers and food and drink brand owners, bio-based end-packaging will be demonstrated and validated to ensure fast market deployment.
Additionally, in order to ensure 100% of PE and PET recyclability, plastic rejections not optimal for microbial bioconversion into bioplastics will be valorized by their use in building applications instead of be sent to incineration or landfilling.
upPE-T will be an important part of the actions for compliance with the European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
30840 Alhama De Murcia
Spain
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
Participants (20)
17489 Greifswald
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
11147 BEOGRAD
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26580 Arnedo
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
1180 Wien
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33100 Tampere
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53850 Lappeenranta
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20124 Milano
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
58033 Castel Del Piano
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
11000 BEOGRAD
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10117 Tallinn
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
06124 Perugia
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17121 Nea Smyrni
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06935 Ankara
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28004 Madrid
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30840 Alhama De Murcia
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03690 Alicante
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51211 Matulji
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
41051 Castelnuovo Rangone
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50720 Zaragoza
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
17489 Greifswald
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