Bio-based plastics are now seen as an eco-friendly substitute for traditional fossil-based plastics. Interestingly, aside from their environmentally friendly origins and in some cases, their biodegradability, bio-based plastics present a promising market potential for recycling, particularly through chemical depolymerisation. Nevertheless, before recycling, bio-based plastics must first be separated and isolated from other packaging materials. Achieving effective sorting of bio-based plastics presents a challenge in the market, as bio-based plastics require scale to be sorted and to form a circular economy. Yet, they also need circularity as a sustainability selling point to boost their sales. The PROSPER project brings together three bio-based plastic producers (including PLA and AAPE-blend producers), a major brand owner, an EPR scheme/PRO participant, a supplier of AI-sorting technology, a sorting testing center, four waste management companies, a municipality and a specialised consultant. It is supported by the scientific expertise of three research institutions and universities, as well as a policy-oriented non-profit organisation. The project offers a comprehensive approach by developing policy interventions, EPR fee scenarios and quantifying recycling rates and cost benefits associated with these scenarios. It also focuses on demonstrating technical advancements in sorting and recycling at industrial scale inside four real waste management companies. PROSPER will also evaluate the market potential for recycled bio-based plastic products through consumer studies, engagement with companies and PROs, while also assessing the Life Cycle, Social Life Cycle, material circularity indicators and economic business models. The institutionalisation of a system change by the different stakeholders in the bio-based plastics value chain will be crucial in achieving circularity, improving environmental performance and fostering positive impacts in the bio-based economy.

The use of plastic products has increased significantly due to their versatility, ease of manufacture, and affordability. However, the excessive production and disposal of plastics have led to environmental concerns. Packaging and construction are the largest end-use markets for plastics in the EU. Agriculture is another major user, with plastic products like mulching films, controlled-release fertilizers, and tree guards being widely used. While these products offer benefits like water conservation, weed control, and increased yields, they also pose risks of soil pollution and environmental contamination. The majority of agricultural plastics are not collected or recycled, leading to improper disposal and landfilling. Other plastic products, such as turf nets and infills, are not biodegradable and difficult to recover for recycling. To address these issues, SOUL aims to develop novel, biodegradable materials with high renewable content. The consortium partners will focus on producing new materials, transforming existing plastic products, and developing sustainable end-of-life solutions. By addressing waste management, reducing carbon footprints, and preventing soil contamination, SOUL seeks to contribute to a more sustainable and circular plastic economy. SOUL will deploy at TRL8, with a circular bioeconomy and multi-actor approach, a complete value chain to produce 11 innovative bio-based and biodegradable in soil product solutions meeting high market demand, by the combination of 3 building blocks and 8 technologies, reaching solutions with a 95% of Renewable Raw Materials while ensuring a platform able to respond to the different application needs.

Aiming at increasing farmers’ income and to be fully aligned with the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) while addressing also Green Deal and Bioeconomy Strategy objectives, BRILIAN will support the adoption of sustainable cooperative business models in rural areas. These business models will enhance rural development, biodiversity preservation and climate-neutrality. For that, BRILIAN will implement a multi-actor approach for the validation of a group of Actions for the Bio Innovation (ABI) both at macro and micro level. The Actions for the Bio-Innovation are ABI 1. Forging robust rural bio-communities. ABI 2. Achieving circularity and sustainability. ABI 3. Integration of short supply chains and ABI 4. Production of value-added bioproducts. Therefore, BRILIAN innovations will allow primary producers to diversify their incomes while reducing risks. These ABI will be particularized for 3 pilots in Italy, Spain and Denmark. Within these pilots, a set of business models will be enhanced and tested for the validation of 10 value chains. 6 in Italy, 2 in Spain and 2 in Denmark. BRILIAN pilots will make use of existing rural infrastructures but implementing adaptations to the current main processes and contractual agreements between actors. To strength that, business model design aproaches will be supported by modules dealing with logistic, organizational and sustainability factors weighted in the BRILIAN optimization toolkit, a toolkit based on complex models which will provide support for the design and optimization of biobased value chains, putting primary producers in the centre. As a result, BRILIAN will set long-term strategies for the adoption of cooperative business models in EU, facilitated by the generation of 11 key exploitable results during the project, including Technical, Socioeconomic, Policy & regulation and Academic ones. The implementation of such an ambitious project requires of a consortium of 13 partners with 11 BIC members.