PROJECT – Usable Packaging

About the project

USABLE PACKAGING will develop high performance plastic packaging through a sustainable and fully circular value chain, where the biomass raw material sourcing derives from food processing side streams, to obtain, via a low footprint biochemical processing, bio-based biodegradable building block materials that will enable the realisation of:

complex packaging structures, including laminates and multilayer films, to match key functional requirements of commercial petrochemical plastics, such as gas/ liquid barrier properties, mechanical resistance, cold temperature resistance, hot tack, among others

a full set of packaging items from rigid to semi rigid and flexible by tuning the functionalisation of base resins through bio-synthesis and the compound processing.

The USABLE PACKAGING concept is designed to retrofit the existing state-of-the-art packaging processing technology by controlling the chemical and physical properties of the base building blocks materials. Unlike its petrochemical peers, USABLE PACKAGING offers a sustainable end-of-life solution, since, on one hand, materials are biodegradable with no harm to the environment, and on the other hand they have potential to deliver additional economic value through:

organic recycling for the production of biogas, with the same consolidated disposal route as bio-waste, or
biotech recycling, to be used again as feedstock for the production of the same base resins for USABLE Packaging, basically closing again and again the same value chain to re-obtain virgin materials.

Project Start: 1 June 2019

Project ends in:

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The project will build up a complete new value chain where a low cost and widely available feedstock, such as by-products and side-streams of the food processing industry and the correlated biogenic CO2, is converted into poly-hydroxy-alkanoates (PHA) by advance processes using both mixed and pure microbial cultures.

The main objectives of the project are the following:

The creation of bio-packaging solutions to cover a wide range of packaging needs for food, drinks, pharma and clothing, based on bioplastics with adequate physical and chemical properties.
The development of bio-packaging solutions with clear end-of-life scenario options, with economic added value such as organic recycling intended for anaerobic digestion or composting or else re-digestion to obtain new virgin PHA in a closed cycle.
The definition of new vertically integrated and circular value chains where food-processing by-products/residues and biogenic CO2 are transformed into compostable and recyclable bio-packaging, via low-environmental-footprint processes.
The optimisation of PHA functionalisation to match requirements for end-use in packaging.
The optimisation of the processes for transformation of functional PHA into packaging, including compounding functionalisation extrusion, blown film process, multilayer
The production of adhesive layers to replace petrochemical CASE peers, by on-line functionalisation thus overcoming the current main bottlenecks for bio-based multilayer films.
The reduction of the environmental footprint of the plastic packaging sector.
Considering emissions, while local feedstocks supply network is considered, avoiding negative C-footprint through long distance transportation.

"USABLE, no leak to the environment, no leak to food waste, just the right packaging."

“Using renewable and biodegradable wastes that would possibly otherwise require disposal or treatment, to make valuable innovative materials is a win win situation for society and the economy.”

Why it makes a difference.

The project drafts a roadmap for a more efficient, low carbon economy, based on local and circular value chains, designed to ensure a circular feedstock supply and also a fully circular end of life,
it will develop a set of biodegradable packaging products fully mature and suitable to replace peer fossil-based products in technologically advanced applications.

What is the added value of the project for the citizen?

USABLE PACKAGING will offer a new and break-through vision of bioplastics, combining recyclability, which creates an after-use economy, with biodegradability, to reduce pollution from non-recyclable plastic packaging

What is the added value for the EU:

To create a more resource efficient and low carbon economy through use of renewable biological resources
Production of innovative materials to be used in the packaging value chain with low end of life impacts
Generation of new business opportunities in innovative industries in the EU
Valorisation of currently low value feedstocks such as waste from agro-industrial processes.

Expected impacts:

USABLE PACKAGING will have a substantial impact on the acceleration of the development of (new) sustainable value chains from biomass feedstock supply via efficient processing, as well as on the acceptance and application of bio-based products in the end-markets, which is the key direction set by the AWP 2017.

The success of USABLE PACKAGING will result in a case of biomass feedstock suppliers well integrated with end market users of biomass processed into plastics. The key success factor for the expected impact of USABLE PACKAGING is to create a ‘market pull’ for bioplastics by identifying the best fit of product performances with the most relevant requirements for selected end-use applications.

USABLE PACKAGING fully responds to the specific challenge of R10 to make the end-of-life phase for packaging significantly more sustainable, because it establishes a circular value chain as the route to sustainable end-of-life.

USABLE will meet the enforcement of the following R10 KPIs:

KPI 1: “create at least one new cross-sector interconnection in bio-based economy”, which USABLE PACKAGING creates across the food processing industry and plastics manufacturing;
KPI 2: “set the basis for at least one new bio-based value chain” , which USABLE PACKAGING would create with a fully circular European dimension, from supply to bio-recycling through a full range of packaging grades;
KPI 6: “create at least two new demonstrated ‘consumer’ products based on bio-based chemicals and materials that meet market requirements” with the objective of substituting market products with innovative alternatives; USABLE PACKAGING will provide three innovative fully bio-based and biodegradable products, such as bio-based Hot tack film, high barrier food packaging and pharma sachets;
KPI 8: “validate at least one new and improved processing technology reflecting the ‘TRL gain’ since the start of the project” with the objective of achieving TRL advancement for both a new and an existing technology, which for USABLE PACKAGING are those for the production of a bio-based adhesive layer, currently a gap for bio-based packaging, and multilayer technologies such as lamination and coating on one hand, multi-layer co-extrusion on the other hand.

Moreover, several targets among those reported in the AWP are clearly achieved by the USABLE PACKAGING project: in particular, more of 20% of the EU contribution is allocated to SMEs, reaching in this case more than 35%. Further, the project contributes to increase the share of participants from associated countries, having a coordinator from Switzerland.

Also the strategic orientation 3 for 2018 is clearly addressed with the USABLE PACKAGING project focussing on the development of innovative bio-based products for very well identified market use, ensuring market relevance through a broad participation of large industries to give input on the product design and feedback on the testing.

The packaging grades to be developed will cover: hot tack film; High Barrier Food packaging bags; Medium Barrier Food packaging bags; Pharma liquid sachets; Low SIT general purpose packaging; Deep freeze packaging; Heavy duty transparent design packaging for clothing applications to replace petrochemical LLDPE/LPE mixtures with bio-based fully circular alternative.