The European project WaysTUP! aims to identify new value chains for the utilisation of urban biowaste. One of the project partners, the Spanish plastics technology centre Aimplas, has now developed a bio-based plastic film made from coffee grounds.
The conversion of biological waste into usable resources is one of the keys to the circular economy and the main objective of the European project WaysTUP!. In various research areas, the aim is to New value chains for the utilisation of municipal biowaste be created. As part of this project, the Spanish Plastics Technology Centre Aimplas has developed a plastic film made from coffee grounds, turning waste into a source of high-quality new products.
„WaysTUP! is a clear example of how bio-waste can play an important role in the transition to a circular economy by utilising its potential as a source of high-quality secondary resources. In our case, we are converting coffee waste into plastic film for packaging.“
Nuria López, Project manager at AIMPLAS
As part of the project, various forms of urban biowaste are being analysed, In addition to coffee grounds, fish and meat waste as well as cooking oil, The result is new bio-based products such as food additives, spices, insect proteins, bioethanol, biosolvents and bioplastics for packaging.
The coffee grounds used by Aimplas as a raw material come from restaurants and are processed by Organic bean, the world's largest coffee waste recycler. Aimplas extracts the biopolymer PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate) from it and formulates it, that it can be processed by extrusion. The bio-based film produced can then be used for various types of flexible packaging.
The WaysTUP! project will funded by the EU research and innovation programme Horizon 2020. A total of 26 research centres, local authorities, companies and city networks are involved in the project.
SourceAimplas
