TERRIFIC: New generation of circular biobased flagship: a catalyst for the green transition
The project will develop eight circular packaging solutions with improved properties including bio-based and biodegradable films laminated on pulp or paper, as well as rigid and flexible thermoplastic biobased materials.
Context
A number of measures and strategies have been put in place in the European Union to move towards a circular economy. The future European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, pending Council approval for its entry into force, sets targets for packaging reduction and reusable packaging volume, as well as minimum recycled content for plastic packaging and recycling by weight for packaging waste.
In this regulatory context, the packaging industry faces a number of challenges and opportunities: to make packaging placed on the EU market recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2030, in line with legislative requirements, while maintaining its performance. This requires new materials and circular packaging with advanced properties and a roadmap to facilitate the implementation of sustainable solutions in the industry. TERRIFIC seeks to overcome these challenges by demonstrating a pathway to decarbonisation and circularity in packaging solutions.
Summary and objectives
The TERRIFIC project will develop bio-based circular solutions for packaging applications with improved properties and meeting high performance requirements along its entire supply value chain.
To this end, it will implement a first-of-its-kind multi-purpose biorefinery for bio-based building blocks in which it will produce biopolyesters and other biobased compounds to develop specific formulations.
In addition, it will develop bio-based, recyclable, compostable and high-performance packaging using traditional industrial technologies and/or innovative technologies for the production of biomaterials for high-performance packaging.
It will also assess the sustainability, circularity and safety of the biomaterials developed for the selected packaging products, while considering the replicability of the packaging solutions in other industries and the possibility of establishing and replicating virtuous circular value chains. In addition, it will establish a roadmap for a multi-stakeholder approach to overcome legislative barriers.
Consortium
Specifically, the consortium consists of 19 partners from nine countries, including six SMEs, and covers the entire value chain.
- NOVAMONT (Italy) (Coordinator).
- ITENE RESEARCH CENTER (Spain).
- SIOEN INDUSTRIES (Belgium).
- CENTRE SCIENTIFIQUE & TECHNIQUE DEL’INDUSTRIE TEXTILE BELGE (Belgium).
- CELLMAT TECHNOLOGIES S.L. (Spain).
- AITIIP FOUNDATION (Spain).
- MODELO CONTINENTE HIPERMERCADOS S.A. (Portugal).
- MC SHARED SERVICES SA (Portugal).
- MATER-BIOTECH SPA (Italy).
- PROFECTUS FILMS GMBH HORN-BAD (Germany).
- LEGA NAZIONALE DELLE COOPERATIVE E MUTUE (Italy).
- SPRING SUSTAINABLE PROCESSES AND RESOURCES FOR INNOVATION AND NATIONAL GROWTH (Italy).
- ROTTNEROS PACKAGING AB (Sweden).
- BIOEAST HUB CR, Z. U. (Czech Republic).
- MOSES PRODUCTOS S.L. (Spain).
- NUEVAS TECNOLOGÍAS PARA EL DESARROLLO DE PACKAGING Y PRODUCTOS AGROALIMENTARIOS CON COMPONENTE PLASTICA S.L. (Spain).
- SAES GETTERS S.P.A. (Italy).
Partner
- Amazon Europe Core SARL (Luxembourg).
ITENE’s role
ITENE will lead the workpackage which transforms biobased formulations to packaging. ITENE will manufacture thermoformed packaging for yoghurt and dairy products, and perform characterization activities.
ITENE will also assess the mechanical recyclability of packaging, such as yoghurt cups, trays, injection moulded articles and thermal boxes, which will be mechanically recycled, to obtain recycled pellets to be used in the formulation of new biomaterials.
ITENE will work on the characterisation of the relevant factors that may influence the release and emission of particulate matter in indoor workplaces by the production processes of the selected value chains.
