MOEBIOS is an application of the circular (bio)economy concept: the development of three value chains incorporating separate recycling streams for bioplastics (BP’s) to improve waste management efficiency throughout Europe. It is a systemic innovation: it will create linkages addressed at the different key stages of the whole chains to solve a hierarchical challenge, from the collection of the bioplastic waste (simulated streams), up to the upcycling and validation of the final recycled end-products (holistic and coordinated solution). The new value chain will imply sorting, conditioning and valorising three types of waste streams from the packaging, agriculture and textile industries into three end-products, targeting to reach at least the same quality and functionality than the original grades, while the end users’ acceptance will be assessed as well. As cornerstone targets for maximizing project’s impact, the upscaling of the recycling processes will: (1) be integrated in pilot plants on the premises of actual industrial recycling lines currently operating in waste management companies, not disrupting them, and reaching a final TRL = 6/7 or even beyond. (2) focus on bioplastics for which recycling processes are still not in place, excluding bio-based analogues (“drop-ins”): PLA and PLA blends, PHA and its blends, PBS and PEF, accordingly with the market. The use of PBAT will be assessed as well. A Multi-Actor Approach (MAA) and a transdisciplinary methodology will engage waste producers, waste managers, bio-based and (bio)plastics industry, public authorities, standardization agencies, citizens and media multipliers, creating a co-creation and co-ownership innovation environment of + 50 participants.

BUDDIE-PACK is a circular economy project aiming at implementing a systemic approach for the large-scale deployment of reusable plastic packaging (RPP) based on a multidisciplinary approach combining social, technological and economic innovations. The project will take advantage of behavioural innovation to promote consumers' acceptance of RPP by analysing drivers and analyzing consumers’psychology of reuse. Sound synergies with technological innovations will be developed to manufacture packaging fulfilling the demanding requirements of RPP based on innovative designs and recyclable materials. The project will focus on innovative cleaning solutions to guarantee the safety of consumers against the possible contamination and ageing of RPP during their repeated use, and the durability of the functional properties up to 300 cycles. Viable economic models will ensure the sustainability of the proposed solutions thanks to the profitability of stakeholderss throughout the value chain, including solutions based on social & solidarity economy models. The project outcomes will be demonstrated under the supervision of RPP manufacturers and users, logisticians, cleaning and recycling experts through 6 mass market business cases in real environment at TRL8. An unprecedented cleaning pilot line dedicated to RPP and allowing scale economies will be set up. Policy recommendations and pre-standardisation activities on RPP designs and cleaning protocols will prepare the markets for the mass deployment of RPP. Preventive measures will be put in place to eliminate any release of microplastics during RPP use. The project will avoid each year the production of nearly 544M of single-use packaging, reduce the consumption of virgin plastics by 103ktons, of water by 1B to 18.5B litres, avoid 303 660ktons of CO2 emissions, 37ktons of microplastics leaking in EU seas.

Micro-Algae offer a solution to many of the European bioeconomy needs. Nevertheless, significant challenges still exist to their acceptance on the market, including organoleptic and functionality challenges. CleanAlgae2Value seeks to unlock such potential via a cascading approach to white-microalgae-derived medium-price ingredients, including protein isolates, oils, natural pigments and starch. The project will build and operate a replicable “upgrading-module” to drastically enhance relevant biorefineries performance via a cost-competitive, sustainable, and scalable microalgae fractionation and valorisation process for producing food-grade, medium-value, carbon-negative ingredients that exceed market standards. More specifically, the project will prove the effectiveness and efficiency of a “Micro-Algae Biorefinery Upgrade Module” (MABUM), able to unlock productions of protein isolates, protein concentrates, starch-rich fraction and oils (respectively 2, 1.3, 3.98 and 1.8 tons) to be validated into 15 prototypes, 13 for food and 2 for bio-packaging markets. The project will do so while increasing operative margins, by decreasing “value-normalised” CAPEX and OPEX, also thanks to modelling optimisation, contributing to market penetration. Importantly, CleanAlgae2Value would also benefit from synergies with a recently granted EIC Accelerator project, which focuses on upstream algae production from CO2 via SOL two-step fermentation, using solely CO2 as carbon source. The project brings together 16 organizations from 9 European countries, collaborating with end-users to produce added value ingredients. Holistic evaluations, including both empirical (surveys, workshops) and horizontal considerations (LCA, TEA, SSbD), will allow for the assessment of market acceptance and environmental, economic and societal sustainability, as well as further support and boost the project DCE activities and pathways towards EFSA positive opinion for those ingredients that still require it.

LANDFEED will focus on creating value from under-utilised waste from the agro-food industry, forestry, urban and natural waste, implementing circular and local solutions that allow waste to be valorised by placing it in a circular framework, and producing innovative biofertilisers to improve Europe's self-sufficiency. In addition to optimising and implementing innovative nutrient recovery technologies, work will be carried out on a new generation of coatings for these bio-based fertilisers, capable of improving their efficiency through controlled nutrient release mechanisms. In this way LANDFEED will contribute to a better management of the fertiliser provided, we will contribute to lower greenhouse gas emissions and a reduced impact on the environment's water resources. LANDFEED will ensure that the solutions and results of the project are locally driven through the different use cases. The use cases will consider all links in the value chain that will participate as lighthouses, serving as demonstrators and disseminators of the technologies, results and applications developed during the project. These use cases will also contribute to the objectives of the Soil Strategy by enabling the restoration of soil health through the enhancement of its specific and functional biodiversity. At the global level, the business model will be defined in its entirety, with the aim of maximising the replicability of these Use Cases and facilitating their implementation in other European areas and regions.