Objectives

The overarching objective of the NENU2PHAR project is to develop a viable alternative to existing petrochemical-based plastics that are sustainable and biodegradable, and therefore seeks to:

  • Develop a competitive bio-source of PHAs polymers that are sustainable both from an environmental and an economic perspective. This will allow them to be targeted at high-volume consumer products.
  • Formulate and functionalise polymers for masterbatching and compounding to ensure the material is in a processable state and able to meet the needs of plastic product manufacturers.
  • Identify the processes required to ensure that PHA-based materials achieve functional properties of bioplastic that are equal to, or better than, those of their fossil-fuel counterparts.
  • Develop a range of prototypes of eco-designed PHA-biobased products that will be suitable for high-volume consumer products, using material selection, design and process definition to reduce both the waste and the environmental footprint.
  • Demonstrate the suitability of the planned NENU2PHAR value chain for the circular economy, by exploring end-of-life scenarios such as composting and recycling up to re-manufacturing.
  • Increase stakeholder and consumer awareness of new bioplastic products, in order to accelerate their acceptance by society and the understanding of the value of their appropriate end-of-life to the environment.

Expected Impacts

By achieving its overall objectives, the NENU2PHAR project will help provide a much-needed alternative to petrochemical-based plastics. In addition, it will also make contributions to specific BBI JU KPIs through:

  • Establishing a range of cross-sectoral interconnections in the bio-based economy between the industrial partners within the project, covering biopolymer extraction, compounding, product plastic manufacturers, recycling and remanufacturing.
  • Creating a completely new bio-based value chain, covering PHA-based bioplastic products from a sustainable bio-source to plastic compounds with an acceptable end of life.
  • Validating at least four new market sectors from the source material; use in bio-polymers (PHA, starch), master batch compounds as well as several bioplastic products.

In addition, the NENU2PHAR project will bring specific environmental benefits. The PHA-based polymers will be designed with re-manufacturing in mind, thus embracing a circular approach to materials. In addition, where it has not been possible to re-manufacture or recycle, the materials will lend themselves to biodegradation and/or composting, reducing plastic waste.

Consortium

  • Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (France)
  • Centre Technique Industriel de la Plasturgie et des Composites (France)
  • Université de Bretagne Sud (France)
  • Association Industries et Agroressources (France)
  • Elixance Masterbatches (France)
  • Danone Research SAS (France)
  • Instituto Tecnologico del Embalaje, Transporte y Logistica Itene (Spain)
  • Lomartov SL (Spain)
  • Zero Emissions Engineering BV (Netherlands)
  • Celabor SCRL (Belgium)
  • Centexbel (Belgium)
  • Sofradim Production SASU (France)
  • IFG Exelto (Belgium)
  • Kaj Zoo (Poland)
  • Bio-Mi Drustvo S Ogranicenom Odgovornoscu za Proizvodnju, Istrazivanjei Razvoj (Croatia)
  • Biotrend-Inovacao e Engenharia em Biotecnologia SA (Portugal)