RECOVER

Summary

Plastics dominate the packaging sector, and their use in the agri-food value chain dominates the demand for plastic packaging. Of a global production of 350 million metric tonnes, the sector consumes 50 percent of output. However, the use of plastics, particularly in packaging, is becoming an increasing cause of environmental concern because of its longevity and challenges in recycling. Currently, only 31 percent of plastic is recycled, with some 30-40 percent going to landfill.

In agriculture, one of the issues in increasing recycling is that affordable biodegradable plastic alternatives do not degrade in soil, but require composting. This adds a significant economic hurdle to the already-greater material cost and lower performance compared to fossil counterparts. There is also the issue of contamination; more than half of food packaging in municipal wastes contains leftover products, making it more difficult to recycle. Almost 80 percent is buried in agri-fields, landfills or the natural environment as a result.

To address these challenges, the RECOVER project will provide novel biotechnological solutions, using microorganisms, novel enzymes, earthworms and insects to degrade conventional plastic packaging and agricultural film waste streams. It will also create new feedstocks for the bio-based industries such as chitin-chitosan, a high-value bioplastics raw material. In addition, the RECOVER project will also help address the issue of microplastic pollution in both industrial composting and soil.