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There, Cristiano gave a presentation about the UPLIFT plastic biorefinery where he explained the upcycling process we are conducting through the optimisation of the most promising processes regarding the chemo-enzymatic depolymerization of polyesters (Polyethylene Terephthalate, Polybutylene Adipate Terephthalate, Polylactic Acid, Polyethylene Furanoate), multi-layer Liquid Packaging Board-rejects upcycling, the production of 4-Hydroxyphenylacetic Acid, bio-based additives, Furan-2,5-Dicarboxylic Acid, and the bio-upcycling of Polyethylene wax to Polyhydroxybutyrate, Polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymers, Polylactic Acid copolymers.

Find the recording of the session below. Cristiano’s presentation starts at 01:59:12

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The event brought leading scientists and industry experts from around the world to share their latest discoveries and achievements. This was a unique opportunity to exchange knowledge, foster innovation, and pave the way for sustainable development. The conference was open to active participants in the scientific community of the field through several activities.

There, our project coordinator Cristiano Varrone gave a flash presentation about the enzymatic hydrolysis of Polyethylene Furanoate (PEF) using polyester hydrolases while Virender Kumar presented UPLIFT through a poster presentation.

The conference revolved around how commodity plastics are essential in various industries, yet their end-of-life mismanagement is a significant contributor to global pollution. Over the last decade, groundbreaking advancements have been made in enzyme-catalyzed plastic recovery, offering innovative solutions to this pressing issue. The event was a useful dissemination opportunity to present the latest results of the UPLIFT project.

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For this reason, various EU projects focused on sustainable packaging collaborated to promote knowledge for policymakers. Working throughout the entire value chain of food packaging, the PRESERVE, UPLIFT, upPE-T, BioSupPack, and MoeBIOS projects prepared a white paper that provides insights into advancing sustainable packaging solutions.

Upcycling food and drinks packaging: a white paper

The white paper “Upcycling food and drinks packaging: How EU-funded research projects transform food and drink packaging to reduce waste”, whose development has been coordinated by European Bioplastics, highlights the innovative technologies and materials developed by these four projects in circularity design, upcycling technologies and end-of-life options, and also provides targeted recommendations or EU policymakers and key stakeholders for the future.

The challenges identified revolve around three axes: Technological and Logistical challenges, Value Chain and Market integration, Regulatory and Compliance.

For technological and logistical challenges, transforming waste into higher-value products through biotechnology is promising but faces economic barriers. It is fundamental to invest in infrastructure, promote common standards and clear labels, as well as support innovation in recycling technologies.

As regards the value chain, circular solutions require clearly defined value chains and identification of key actors and economic viability of the upcycling process. It is fundamental to promote strategic industry collaboration and stakeholder engagement in the value chain definition as well as encourage public-private partnerships and facilitate the development of logistics and management frameworks.

Regulatory uncertainties, inconsistencies and disconnected EU regulatory framework do not help in boosting the innovation of the bio-based sector. It is recommended to harmonize policy frameworks, establish solid legislative and regulatory frameworks that encourage the development of new technologies and ensure the participation of relevant experts in intra-department discussions at the European Commission.

Overall, achieving these goals requires a collaborative effort among researchers, industry leaders, policymakers, and the public to drive innovation and foster a resilient, sustainable packaging sector.

The launch of the white paper

In order to underline the importance of collaborative efforts in writing the white paper, European Bioplastics organised an online event to launch the document: “Upcycling Packaging: a White Paper on EU Research Driving Sustainability”. In this event, held online on 1 October 2024 and whose recordings are available on YouTube, attendees could get a glimpse of the content of the white paper, presented by Estela López-Hermoso from European Bioplastics. The spotlight was also on the four EU-funded projects —PRESERVE, BioSupPack, upPE-T, and UPLIFT— which are revolutionizing food and drink packaging through innovative upcycling strategies.

Participants gained access to the latest discoveries of the four projects, explored the key challenges faced in their research and innovation endeavours, and learned about strategic recommendations aimed at upcycling up to 60% of food and drink packaging plastic waste by 2030. Attendees also got a glimpse into the new generation of EU-funded projects, including MoeBIOS.

Roberto Ferrigno, head of public affairs of European Bioplastics, also participated in the round table of discussion between the speakers of the event. Ferrigno underlined the importance of promoting market opportunities to boost innovative solutions developed by the projects. He also underlined the importance of involving consumers in the decision-making process, as they are aware of the challenges faced by the development of new solutions to reduce plastic waste.

Collaborating for a plastic-free future

Transforming by-products or waste into new, higher-quality materials is essential for preserving natural resources, reducing plastic packaging and lowering greenhouse gas emissions from fossil-based production. With this white paper, we want to give our contribution to a better future.

You can download the white paper from Zenodo and rewatch the webinar on YouTube.

Source and original content: PRESERVE H2020 PROJECT

Workshop Recording

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There, Sonja Herres-Pawlist gave a presentation about its work in the UPLIFT project in the framework of metal guanidine catalysts enabling a circular economy for bioplastics. Guanidine zinc and iron complexes are highly active and versatile catalysts for the ring-opening polymerisation of cyclic esters as well as the open-loop and closed-loop recycling of polyesters. The goal of the UPLIFT project is the upscaling of the polymerisation and depolymerisation processes. Here, the environmentally benign catalayts play a key role.

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There, Lisa Burkart gave a presentation about its work in the UPLIFT project about Research Data Management strategies where she introduced the recycling of Polylactic Acid (PLA). The presentation showcased UPLIFT’s commitment to environmental sustainability and cutting-edge research. By participating in this prestigious congress, Lisa had the opportunity to share findings with the global scientific community and exchange ideas about catalysis and green chemistry.

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There, he had the opportunity to showcase the UPLIFT Plastic Biorefinery Concept and some of the latest Aalborg University Results on enzymatic polyester depolymerization and polyethene wax bioupcycling into polyhydroxyalkanoates.

The conference welcomed more than 300 international participants and the main topic was revolving around impacting Sustainable Development Goals by renewables. Delegates from university, industry, governmental an non-governmental organizations and venture capital providers presented their views on industrial biotechnology, sustainable (green) chemistry and agricultural policy related to the use of renewable raw materials for non-food applications and energy supply.

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There, Virginia Celestre research assistant at DTU was awarded after a conference poster presentation revolving around repolymerization of Terephthalic Acid (TA) hydrolysates into Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) as part of the work conducted in the UPLIFT project together with Chiara Siracusa, Alessandro Pellis, Felice Quartinello and Jeppe Madsen.

Nordic Polymer Days is the key annual conference where researchers and professionals get together to discuss new technologies and innovations within polymer science and engineering.

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