A new European project transforms various urban organic waste, such as fish and meat waste, used coffee grounds or used cooking oil, into new biobased products
Aimplas, Technological Institute of Plastics, announced that it has managed to develop a plastic film from coffee waste. With this process, the institute explained, it was possible to transform waste into a source of high-value products.
The European project WaysTUP!, financed by the Horiozonte H2020 program, in which Aimplas collaborates, seeks to convert biological waste into resources. It is precisely within the framework of this project that a plastic film has been obtained from used coffee.
“WaysTUP! It is a clear example of how biowaste can play an important role in the transition towards a circular economy, avoiding its generation and capturing its potential as a source of high-value secondary resources. In our case, we are transforming coffee residues into plastic films for packaging, while other project partners, such as SAV – Agricultores de la Vega de Valencia, coordinating partners of the project, are valuing it in food additives, feed or oils for both food industry and cosmetics”, highlighted Nuria López, main researcher of the project at AIMPLAS.
Raw material from biological waste
With WaysTUP!, it is explained in a statement, various urban organic waste, such as fish and meat waste, used coffee grounds or used cooking oil, are being transformed into new biobased products such as food additives, seasonings, insect proteins, bioethanol, biosolvents and bioplastics for packaging, among others.
The biobased plastic film produced by Aimplas has been developed from PHA from restaurant coffee grounds collected by BIOBEAN (UK). To achieve this, the Institute has formulated the PHA so that it can be processed by extrusion and, later, it has manufactured the film that will be used to make different types of flexible packaging.
This project is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program and involves 26 research centers, local authorities, companies and networks from various cities.
