PLANET BIOPLASTICS SRL

Their core work

Planet Bioplastics is an Italian SME specializing in the development of bio-based plastics, coatings, and packaging materials designed for sustainability and controlled end-of-life. Their work spans formulating bioplastic compounds (such as PLA-based copolymers), developing barrier coatings for food-contact applications, and engineering packaging solutions that support biodegradation, home composting, and recycling. They contribute materials science and bioplastics processing expertise to large European consortia tackling the transition from fossil-based to bio-based packaging across food, textile, and personal care sectors.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Planet Bioplastics entered H2020 in 2019 with projects focused on bio-based coatings and PLA-based bioplastics for food packaging, emphasizing biodegradation and home composting as end-of-life pathways. By 2021, their latest project PRESERVE shifted toward more complex material systems — paper-based multilayer packaging, enzymatic upcycling, and e-beam processing — indicating a move from single-material bioplastics toward multi-material sustainable packaging engineering. The trajectory shows a company expanding from pure bioplastic formulation toward integrated circular packaging solutions.

Moving from simple bioplastic compounds toward complex multi-material packaging architectures with integrated recycling and upcycling pathways — expect future work at the intersection of paper, bioplastics, and circular economy.

How they like to work

Planet Bioplastics operates exclusively as a participant, never as coordinator, which is typical for a specialist SME contributing specific material expertise to larger research efforts. With 54 unique partners across 14 countries from just 3 projects, they work in large consortia (averaging 18+ partners per project) where they likely serve as the bioplastics materials supplier and formulation expert. This pattern suggests they are easy to integrate into large collaborative projects and comfortable operating within multi-partner frameworks.

Broad European network of 54 partners across 14 countries, built through participation in three large RIA consortia focused on sustainable packaging. Their network likely includes major European packaging research institutes, polymer labs, and food industry players.

What sets them apart

Planet Bioplastics occupies a specific niche: they are a dedicated bioplastics SME with deep expertise in both material formulation AND end-of-life design — a combination that is rare among small companies. While many firms focus either on making bioplastics or on waste management, Planet Bioplastics bridges both sides, understanding how formulation choices determine whether a product can be composted, recycled, or upcycled. For consortium builders, they offer a single partner that covers the full lifecycle of bio-based packaging materials.

Highlights from their portfolio

• PRESERVE
  Largest funding (EUR 490,904) and most technically ambitious — combines paper, bioplastics, enzymatic upcycling, and e-beam processing in one project.
• BIOnTop
  Broadest scope covering packaging, textiles, food, and personal care applications of tailored bioplastics with controlled biodegradation.
• ECOFUNCO
  Focused specifically on functional bio-based coatings with enhanced performance, representing the company's core coating expertise.