CAFIPLA · Project

Turning Mixed Bio-Waste into Packaging, Insulation, and Biochemicals at Low Cost

environmentTestedTRL 5

Imagine your city's food scraps, garden waste, and other organic rubbish all mixed together in a big messy pile. Right now, most of that ends up in landfill or cheap compost because it's too varied to process efficiently. CAFIPLA figured out how to sort that mess into two useful streams — one that produces valuable acids (think building blocks for bioplastics and animal feed), and another that recovers fibres for packaging or insulation boards. The whole process runs at room temperature and pressure, so it's much cheaper and greener than existing methods.

By the numbers

consortium partners across 6 countries

SMEs in the consortium

43%

industry partner ratio

TRL5

pilot plant demonstration level achieved

year project duration (2020-2023)

total project deliverables

The business problem

What needed solving

Billions of tonnes of mixed organic waste from cities and farms go to landfill or low-value composting because the waste is too varied for existing processing technologies. Meanwhile, manufacturers of bioplastics, packaging, and insulation pay premium prices for clean, uniform bio-based feedstock. There is a massive value gap between what bio-waste could be worth and what it earns today.

The solution

What was built

CAFIPLA built and demonstrated a TRL5 pilot plant at the IDE facility that integrates two processing platforms: a carboxylic acid platform (CAP) converting biodegradable waste fractions into acids for PHA bioplastics, microbial protein, and caproic acid biooil; and a fibre recovery platform (FRP) turning recalcitrant biomass into intermediates for packaging and insulation. The project delivered 16 deliverables including the integrated pilot demonstration.

Audience

Who needs this

Municipal and private bio-waste treatment operators looking to extract more value from mixed organic wasteBioplastics producers (especially PHA manufacturers) seeking cheaper, waste-derived feedstockSustainable packaging companies needing bio-based fibre supplyInsulation material manufacturers interested in bio-based alternativesBiorefinery developers planning new multi-product facilities

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Waste management & recycling

mid-size

Target: Municipal or private bio-waste processors

If you are a waste management company dealing with mixed organic waste that is too heterogeneous to valorize profitably — this project developed an integrated two-platform process (carboxylic acid + fibre recovery) that turns that mixed bio-waste into saleable biochemicals and fibre products. The process was validated at TRL5 in a pilot plant, operating at ambient temperature and pressure with low chemical use.

Bio-based packaging

SME

Target: Packaging manufacturers seeking sustainable raw materials

If you are a packaging manufacturer looking for bio-based alternatives to petroleum-derived materials — this project developed a fibre recovery platform that fractionates recalcitrant biomass from bio-waste into different fibre ranges suitable for packaging material. The pilot plant at IDE demonstrated this integration, offering a new supply of sustainable fibre from waste streams that currently have no high-value use.

Bioplastics & biochemicals

SME

Target: PHA or biopolymer producers

If you are a bioplastics company struggling with expensive feedstock costs for PHA production — this project developed a carboxylic acid platform that converts the easily biodegradable fraction of bio-waste into specific acid spectra feeding into PHA, microbial protein, or caproic acid biooil production. Using bio-waste instead of sugar or starch crops as input dramatically cuts raw material costs.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What does this technology cost compared to current bio-waste treatment?

The project objective highlights that CAFIPLA operates at ambient pressure and temperature with low chemical use, which should significantly reduce operating costs compared to conventional 2nd-generation biomass processing that requires high energy and chemical inputs. Based on available project data, specific cost figures per tonne were not published.

Can this work at industrial scale?

CAFIPLA demonstrated the process at TRL5 in a pilot plant integrated at the IDE facility, combining both the carboxylic acid and fibre recovery platforms. This validates upscaling potential, though further scale-up to full industrial throughput would be a next step beyond the project.

What about intellectual property and licensing?

The consortium of 14 partners across 6 countries includes 7 SMEs and Tecnalia as coordinator. Based on available project data, IP arrangements would follow the consortium agreement. Interested companies should contact the coordinator to discuss licensing or collaboration opportunities.

What types of bio-waste can this process handle?

The key advantage is that CAFIPLA was specifically designed for heterogeneous bio-waste — mixed organic waste from urban or rural sources that is currently hard to valorize. The process separates easily biodegradable fractions from recalcitrant biomass, so it handles the variability that defeats other systems.

What are the actual outputs I can sell?

The process produces multiple marketable outputs: carboxylic acids (feedstock for microbial protein, PHA bioplastics, or caproic acid biooil) from the biodegradable fraction, and fibre intermediates suitable for packaging material or insulation from the recalcitrant fraction. This multi-product approach improves overall economics.

How long would it take to implement this in my facility?

The 3-year project concluded in May 2023 with a validated TRL5 pilot. Moving to commercial deployment would require further engineering scale-up and regulatory approvals. Based on available project data, a realistic timeline from licensing to operational plant would depend on local permitting and facility integration.

Does this meet EU waste and bioeconomy regulations?

CAFIPLA was funded under the Bio-Based Industries programme (BBI-2019-SO2-R2), which aligns with EU bioeconomy strategy and circular economy targets. The project studied biomass supply chains and business models for future implementation, which would include regulatory compliance pathways.

Consortium

Who built it

The CAFIPLA consortium is unusually well-balanced for commercialization: 14 partners across 6 European countries (AT, BE, DE, ES, FR, PT) with 7 SMEs making up half the consortium and a 43% industry ratio overall. This mix of 6 industry players, 4 research organizations, and 2 universities — led by Tecnalia, one of Europe's largest applied research centers — signals serious intent to move beyond the lab. The heavy SME presence suggests the technology was developed with real market constraints in mind, not just academic publication targets.

FUNDACION TECNALIA RESEARCH & INNOVATIONCoordinator · ES
DECHEMA GESELLSCHAFT FUR CHEMISCHETECHNIK UND BIOTECHNOLOGIEparticipant · DE
AVECOMparticipant · BE
DBFZ DEUTSCHES BIOMASSEFORSCHUNGSZENTRUM GEMEINNUTZIGE GMBHparticipant · DE
UNIVERSITEIT GENTparticipant · BE
BIOTREND-INOVACAO E ENGENHARIA EM BIOTECNOLOGIA SAparticipant · PT
IDELUX ENVIRONNEMENTparticipant · BE
UNIVERSITAET FUER BODENKULTUR WIENparticipant · AT
VERTECH GROUPparticipant · FR
LEIBNIZ-INSTITUT FUR AGRARTECHNIK UND BIOOKONOMIE EVparticipant · DE
OWS RESEARCH FOUNDATION PSparticipant · BE
NORMEC OWSparticipant · BE

How to reach the team

Fundacion Tecnalia Research & Innovation (Spain) — contact via project website or SciTransfer

Order a report on this consortium See FUNDACION TECNALIA RESEARCH & INNOVATION profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the CAFIPLA team to discuss licensing or pilot collaboration? SciTransfer can arrange a direct connection with the right technical contact at Tecnalia.

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