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Bio-plastics Europe - A holistic approach to bio-based and biodegradable plastics

Most plastics in the world are produced from fossil oil and a great deal of plastic waste ends up in the environment. In the project Bio-plastics Europe we develop strategies and solutions for bio-based and biodegradable plastics as an alternative to conventional, fossil-based plastics.

The project is an international collaboration in which IVL will test which kind of products are suitable for different types of bio-based and biodegradable plastics, how to optimize and facilitate plastic waste management and what happens when bioplastic products end up in nature. This also includes developing a knowledge base and recommendations for policy makers.

The project involves ca. 20 partners from 12 different countries and has an expanded network of European cities, organizations and companies, including TetraPak, Unilever and Adidas.

Bio-plastics Europe is funded through the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, Horizon 2020.

Bio-based plastics: plastics produced from renewable raw materials with a contemporary biological origin, such as sugar canes. These plastics are often chemically identical to conventional, fossil-based plastics.

Biodegradable plastics: plastics that can be biologically degraded over time in a controlled environment, for example in a large-scale compost.

Facts about project

  • Bio-plastics Europe
  • Budget: 8.1 million EUR
  • Financed by: EU Horizon 2020, Grant agreement number: 860 407
  • Partners: Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (DE), Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF (DE), Kaunas University of Technology (LT), Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), Swedish Environmental Research Institute (SE), Technical University of Tallinn (EE), University of Bologna (IT), Lodz University of Technology (PL), Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (DE), National Research Council (IT), Turku University of Applied Sciences (FI), The Hamburg University of Technology (DE), Hamburg Institute of International Economics (DE), The Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (AT), Universidad Politecnica de Madrid (ES), Tecnologie Innovative per il Controllo Ambientale e lo Sviluppo Sostenibile scrl (IT), Heng Hiap Industries (MY), Nature Plast (FR), Arctic Biomaterials (ABM)(FI), Prospex Institute (BE), Assobioplastiche Servizi (IT), Ecoembalajes España (ES).
  • Period: 2019 - 2023