Research and Innovation for the sustainable use of water
This December marked the launch of the project “Valorising agrifood wastewater through advanced biorefining techniques for sustainable packaging solutions (VALORBIO)”, funded under the Water4All 2024 Joint Transnational Call on Water for Circular Economy.
With a total budget of €1.3 million, the consortium is composed of six research groups from France, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom, and is coordinated by Maite Pijuan, researcher at ICRA.
VALORBIO aims to develop a sustainable and circular platform capable of converting agrifood wastewater into new biodegradable bioplastics suitable for food packaging applications. Through the use of bioreactors, the organic matter present in these wastewaters will be transformed into intracellular and extracellular biopolymers, while wastewater treatment is carried out simultaneously. These biopolymers will be used to produce new, more sustainable bioplastics, which will be tested in the form of food packaging.
Traditionally considered a waste, wastewater is increasingly being recognized as a resource with high valorization potential. With innovative technologies such as those explored in VALORBIO, wastewater treatment plants can evolve into resource recovery facilities, capable of generating reclaimed water, renewable energy and value-added products.
To ensure that the research has real impact and effective transfer to the market, VALORBIO incorporates close collaboration with several industrial stakeholders from the outset:
· Anela Fruits and Liquats Vegetals: agrifood companies that will supply their wastewater and may become end users of the developed bioplastics. Packaging prototypes will be tested directly with their products.
· Paques Biomaterials: a company specialized in the production and commercialization of bioplastics from residual streams.
· Wipak: a leading company in packaging solutions for the food and medical sectors, with a strong commitment to innovation.
This collaborative ecosystem ensures that the project results address real and current industry needs.
