In the past five years, a consortium has been dedicated to creating and validating materials and production methodologies for polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA and PHB), which serve as sustainable substitutes for fossil-based plastics while aligning with the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).
Eighteen partners collaborated under the leadership of AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Centre located in Valencia, Spain. This initiative received a funding boost of 7.6 million Euros from the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) through the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation framework.
Rosa González Leyba, the project coordinator at AIMPLAS, states, “Our consortium has successfully scaled up innovative biorefinery processes and developed biobased materials for rigid packaging for food and non-food applications, obtaining packaging prototypes which are very close to the current counterparts on the market.”
The BioSupPack initiative introduced a scalable bioprocess that effectively turns spent grains from breweries into high-purity PHB through a unique plasma pretreatment and microbial fermentation technique. This innovative approach not only converts a previously overlooked waste product into a valuable biopolymer but also fosters industrial collaboration between breweries and bioplastics manufacturers. With advancements reaching Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6, this process has been validated in environments relevant to industry requirements.
AIMPLAS further reports that BioSupPack has developed 99% biobased PHA plastisol coatings, which are both fully biodegradable. These coatings can be applied to paperboard, serving as eco-friendly alternatives to polyethylene (PE) coatings, and can also replace PVC in textiles. This innovation is safeguarded by a patent from Centexbel and is at TRL 6, poised for licensing to manufacturers in the coatings sector.
The consortium has also engineered compostable, fiber-based packaging with barrier traits that rival fossil-based plastics, suitable for products like ice cream cups and trays. This advancement is intended to help companies achieve their sustainability targets while providing options for end-of-life disposal.
Project partner Sabiomaterials has tailored PHB-based materials specifically for rigid packaging needs, including bottles and retail displays. These materials are reportedly created from renewable waste sources, fully biodegradable, and both mechanically and enzymatically recyclable. They have been expressly designed for enhanced processing capabilities through methods like extrusion blow molding and injection molding, achieving TRL 7 and ready for large-scale production.
Additionally, a packaging waste sorting prototype from IRIS is expected to enable the recovery of new waste streams for subsequent enzymatic recycling. According to BioSupPack, this method has proven to be an efficient end-of-life strategy for these materials, aided by the invention of selective enzymes.
AIMPLAS notes that the advancements made by BioSupPack are available for implementation by stakeholders across various industries, including biopolymer producers, biorefineries, packaging manufacturers, and brand owners within the food, cosmetics, and consumer goods markets.
By 2025, the project proclaimed it had created a compostable, renewable substance derived from spent grains that could replace traditional polyolefins, leading to new thermoplastic materials and coatings for use in food, cosmetics, and household cleaning packaging.
Last summer, Arbikie Distillery, alongside Edinburgh Napier University and the University of Dundee, collaborated on the MycoPack project, which aims to utilize distillery by-products like spent grain to produce compostable packaging. The resulting material is reportedly impact-resistant, fire-retardant, and fully compostable, serving as a viable alternative to conventional plastics.
