PRESERVE

Project

PRESERVE aims to promote the circular use of biobased packaging. To change the current situation (based on fossil raw materials, limited recycling), we are building on award-winning upcycling strategies from previous and ongoing projects. We will improve the performance of primary food packaging through bio-based barrier coatings for bioplastics and paper/cardboard, as well as through e-beam irradiation and microfibrillar reinforcement. From a biotechnological perspective, we will utilize the addition of enzymes to bioplastics to stimulate biodegradation, the enzymatic recovery of functional oligomers, and the delamination of multilayer packaging using enzymatic cleaning agents to enable layer separation and recycling. The processes required to produce at least 10 packaging prototypes will be scaled up. The improved bio-packaging will be tested with various types of food and beverages. Recovered biopolymers will be upcycled into value-added applications, such as packaging for personal care products and reusable carrier bags (using textiles and composite materials).

The versatility of our end-of-life options, the materials, the flexible and rigid packaging types, and compatibility with various processes ensure that the results of PRESERVE are relevant to more than 60% of the plastic packaging on the market, whose long-term replacement potential will be maximized thanks to the participation of several leading companies in the consortium. Our roadmap for 2030 will chart the course to significantly influence the rise of bio-based packaging and create jobs and growth in the sector. To amplify PRESERVE’s impact, we will also conduct life-cycle and safety assessments, carry out user acceptance studies, and contribute to standardization and certification. Overall, our PRESERVE solutions for circular, renewably produced packaging and the resulting upcycling applications—by contributing to the EU Plastics Strategy within a circular economy—will not only optimally protect food and beverages but also our environment and its finite resources.

Coordinator

IRIS TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS, SOCIEDAD LIMITADA (Spain)

Partners

IRIS TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS, SOCIEDAD LIMITADA (Spain), FACHHOCHSCHULE ALBSTADT-SIGMARINGEN (Germany), CENTRE SCIENTIFIQUE & TECHNIQUE DEL INDUSTRIE TEXTILE BELGE ABSL (Belgium), AIMPLAS – ASOCIACIÓN DE INVESTIGACIÓN DE MATERIALES PLÁSTICOS Y CONEXAS (Spain), FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FÖRDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V. (Germany), INSTITUTO TECNOLÓGICO DEL EMBALAJE, TRANSPORTE Y LOGÍSTICA (Spain), NEXT TECHNOLOGY TECNOTESSILE SOCIETÀ NAZIONALE DI RICERCA S.R.L. (Italy), ALMA MATER STUDIORUM – UNIVERSITY OF BOLOGNA (Italy), BIOPOLIS SL (Spain), PLANET BIOPLASTICS SRL (Italy), BOSTIK SA (France), CARBIOLICE (France), SUDPACK VERPACKUNGEN GMBH & CO KG (Germany), GRAPHIC PACKAGING INTERNATIONAL EUROPE (Belgium), SIBO G. d.o.o. (Slovenia), BEIERSDORF AG (Germany), ORGANIC WASTE SYSTEMS NV (Belgium), PLA.TO GMBH (Germany), ROMEI SRL (Italy), DENIMX BV (Netherlands), SILON SRO (Czech Republic), KNEIA SL (Spain), CROWDHELIX LIMITED (United Kingdom), EUROPEAN BIOPLASTICS EV (Germany), DANONE RESEARCH SAS (France), KRAFT FOODS R&D INC (United States)

Responsibilities of Normec OWS

• Work Package 5 Leader
• Research into the biodegradation of the developed coatings, adhesives, and composites in various environments to determine biological end-of-life options and the impact of accidental releases, and to demonstrate the enhanced biodegradability of PLA with embedded enzymes
• Investigate the suitability of organic recycling through composting and/or anaerobic digestion

Contact

Mr. Steven Verstichel
[email protected]

This project has received funding from the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking (JU) under grant agreement No. 887398. The JU is supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program and the Bio-based Industries Consortium.

Visit the PRESERVE website