POLYMEER

Summary

Although bioplastics offer numerous environmental benefits, they currently represent just 1.5% of global plastic production. Achieving a much larger bioplastics production requires significant investment and innovation throughout the plastics value chain. In particular, in the sector needs to work on recycling, biodegradability and performance aspects of bioplastics.

The POLYMEER project seeks to revolutionise bioplastics by developing new bio-based polymers, copolymers, and polymer blends based on brewers' spent grain (BSG), a major brewing by-product that poses disposal challenges due to its abundance and perishability. It constitutes 85% of brewery waste, with every 100 litres of beer yielding almost 20 kilograms of wet BSG. About 40 million tonnes of BSG are produced annually worldwide, with Europe accounting for approximately 8 million tonnes.

Recognising this untapped resource, POLYMEER envisions a transformative journey: harnessing BSG's potential to create bespoke bioplastics tailored for applications where existing bioplastics falter or conventional plastics still hold sway, namely in the agriculture sector (mulch films), packaging, and textile for the automotive industry. POLYMEER's innovative formulations promise to revolutionise industries while championing sustainability, prioritising eco-friendly processes, minimising environmental impact, and ensuring intrinsic recyclability or biodegradability.