RECOVER

Development of innovative biotic symbiosis for plastic biodegradation and synthesis to solve their end of life challenges in the agriculture and food industries.

Term of this project: June 1st, 2020 – May 31st,2024.

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Contact

Mr. Steven Verstichel
steven.verstichel@normecgroup.com

Project

RECOVER is a disruptive RIA proposal built upon the actual needs to solve the contamination of agro-fields with non-biodegradable agro-plastics as well as to improve municipal waste handling by decreasing drastically the packaging fraction going to unsustainable waste management routes.

We intend to reach our ambitious objectives applying biotech solutions that will include symbiotic bioprocesses between previously reported high powered microorganisms through microbiotic systems vectored by several insect species. One of the main innovations in our proposal is the combination of endogenous and exogenous microorganisms and their inoculation on insects. This will allow achieving higher levels of biodegradation and direct conversion (at the same time) of agri-food plastic wastes in insect by-products such as chitin, that can be converted in chitosan (high value as bioplastics raw materials and other interesting industrial applications due to anti-microbial activity) that will be used in active packaging, enhanced mulching films and biofertilizers applications.

 

RECOVER will help providing novel biotechnological solutions applying microorganisms, enzymes and insects to degrade conventional plastic packaging and agricultural films waste streams but also result in new feedstocks for the bio-based industries. The process will be optimized and performed either ex-situ in composting reactors (preferred route for non-recyclable plastics from municipal solid waste or for agricultural films that can be collected easily) or in situ in the case of bioremediating soil pollution, by e.g. mulching films, further contributing to the long-term removal of non-biodegradable polymers from the environment. In addition, RECOVER can solve the microplastics pollution at the level of both industrial composting and soil.

Coordinator

Universidad De Almería (Spain)

Tasks of Normec OWS

  • Work package 4 leader
  • Testing the biodegradation capacities of the developed fortified microbial consortia (ex and in situ)
  • Examine the best operational conditions for biodegradation
  • Upscaling of the ex situ biodegradation process

Partners

Universidad De Almería (Spain), Università Di Pisa (Italy), Asociación Agraria Jóvenes Agricultores España (Spain), BRUNEL University (UK), Universidad Miguel Hernández De Elche (Spain), Albstadt-Sigmaringen University (Germany), NATURPLÁS PLÁSTICOS AGRICOLAS, S.L. (Spain), ASA SPEZIALENZYME GMBH (Germany), NUTRINSECT SRL (Italy), IRIS Technology Solutions, S.L. (Spain), Organic Waste Systems N.V. (Belgium), IDELUX Environment (Belgium), FEMTO ENGINEERING SRL (Italy), Indgedient Odyssey LDA – Entogreen (Portugal), CARTON BROS. – MANOR FARM (Ireland), ENCO ENGINEERING SRL (Italy), S.A. Agricultores de la Vega de Valencia (Spain)

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This project has received funding from the Bio Based Industries Joint Undertaking (JU) under grant agreement No 887398. The JU receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and the Bio Based Industries Consortium.

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