Ecoplackaging at Circular Economy event
02/05/2020
The CINN has been invited to participate at the Transfer on Circular Economy that will take place tomorrow in Oviedo (Asturias).
Vegetal fibres-reinforced PLA antimicrobial composites for packaging applications
"If we don't change the way we produce and use plastics, there will be more plastics than fish in our oceans by 2050". Frans Timmermans, European Commission's First Vice-President, responsible for sustainable development.
PROJECT AMBITION
The principal aim of ECOPLACKAGING is to solve the
drawbacks that PLA currently shows for packaging applications developing a
fully renewable and degradable active antimicrobial PLA composite with improved
physical and mechanical properties.
WHAT WE DO
Contribution to Environmental and Societal Challenges
Use of natural resources
Ecoplackaging will study the potential use of vegetal residues in high
performance composites. Local plant wastes from
cleaning and control actions namely island invasive plant species obtained by low-energy
production techniques will be used.
Increased shelf life of food products
Ecoplackaging develops novel Polylactic acid composites with preservative
properties for food packaging. These composites will be functionalized with
non-toxic antimicrobial compounds in order to extend the shelf life of food
products without any health risk for the consumers.
Energy consumption and emissions
PLA 50% less energy consumption and produces 10 time less emissions (75%
lower greenhouse gas emissions) in comparison to standard
thermoplastics like PET and PP.
Bioplastics economy
The biodegradable
plastics market is expected to increase from 880 million tonnes in
2017 to 1,086 to million tonnes in 2022 and the antimicrobial
packaging market is projected to grow at a
CAGR of 5.54%.
3
COUNTRIES INVOLVED
Portugal, Czech Republic and Spain
670,093 €
BUDGET
with a 455,860 € Grant
15
RESEARCHERS
Chemists, materials scientists, biologists and physicists
News
Kick-off Meeting
05/04/2019
The kick-off meeting of ECOPLACKAGING was hosted by the CINN at its headquarters located in El Entrego (Spain) on 3rd May 2019. Representatives from all partners attended this first meeting and visited the laboratories of the CINN and the Multifunctional Materials Development Unit.