Imagine taking the soggy grain left over from beer brewing and turning it into a sturdy plastic. Instead of drying the waste, which uses too much energy, this process separates the proteins and fibers while they are still wet. These ingredients are then rebuilt into materials that can replace oil-based plastics in cars and farms.
Industries rely on fossil-based plastics for automotive textiles and agricultural films because bio-plastics often lack the necessary UV resistance or durability. Meanwhile, millions of tonnes of brewery waste are landfilled or underutilized.
A wet-fractionation process to extract proteins and fibers from spent grain and a library of bio-based polymers and copolymers.
If you are a film manufacturer dealing with plastic pollution in soil — this project developed biodegradable mulch films that break down naturally. This allows farmers to protect crops without leaving permanent plastic waste in the ground.
If you are a textile supplier dealing with strict sustainability mandates for car interiors — this project developed bio-based polyesters with improved UV resistance. These materials replace fossil-based fabrics while remaining recyclable.
If you are a brewery dealing with the 8 million tonnes of spent grain produced in Europe — this project developed recyclable tertiary packaging films. This allows breweries to create a local circular loop by using their own waste for their shipping materials.
Based on available project data, specific pricing is not provided, but the project includes techno-economic studies to evaluate the economic feasibility of large-scale production.
The project is moving from lab-scale research to pilot validation. Early scalability checks have already confirmed compatibility for upcoming pilot trials.
Based on available project data, licensing terms are not yet defined, but the project aims for a market launch within 3-5 years after completion.
The project focuses on the shift toward a climate-neutral materials economy and addresses the need for biodegradable and recyclable alternatives to fossil-based plastics.
The project runs until August 2028, with a target for market launch within 3-5 years after the project ends.
The consortium is highly commercially oriented, with a 50% industry ratio consisting of 7 industrial partners, 7 of whom are SMEs. This balance between 3 universities and 3 research centers ensures that the transition from lab-scale to pilot validation is supported by actual market players across 8 European countries.
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