SOWISE PLUS

SOWISE+ - Solid Organic Waste Into Sustainable End-products

Project details

Type of project
Innovation Action – Flagship
Feedstock origin
Organic waste
Feedstock type
Organic fraction of municipal solid waste
Project period
1 July 2026 - 30 June 2031
Status
Upcoming
CBE JU Contribution
€ 14 986 706,15
Call identifier
HORIZON-JU-CBE-2025

Summary

Europe faces a strong dependency on imported bio‑based polymers and a limited availability of sustainable, high‑performance alternatives to fossil‑based plastics. Despite significant research progress, few solutions have been demonstrated at an industrial scale using waste‑based feedstock. 

SOWISE+ addresses this gap by building a first‑of‑its‑kind multipurpose biorefinery for the production of bio‑based polymers, in particular PHBV, biodegradable and biocompatible thermoplastic copolymers, from urban organic waste streams, including post‑consumer absorbent hygiene products (AHPs). The project validates an integrated and scalable industrial process capable of delivering high‑quality, fully biodegradable bio-based polyesters suitable for multiple market applications. 

Hosted by CONTARINA, a leading municipal waste management operator, the SOWISE+ flagship plant enables urban‑industrial symbiosis by converting heterogeneous urban waste into bio‑based polymers, supporting Europe’s circular bioeconomy, strengthening industrial competitiveness, and reducing reliance on fossil‑based plastics. 

 

  • Demonstrate the industrial-scale operation of the new multipurpose biorefinery, producing PHBV and cellulose for several applications. 
  • Validate the usability of the technologies and materials for producing novel bio-based products for several sectors, such as packaging (compostable candy wrappers and single-use coated paper cups), 3D printing (circular waste bins), agriculture (tree guards), healthcare (transdermal patches), and construction (flexible insulation boards and bulk insulation).  
  • Increase the versatility of the project value chain and explore additional exploitation opportunities through solvent-based extraction of PHBV and development of PHBV-cellulose composites. 
  • Ensure the sustainability and circularity of the project value chain, quantifying long-term societal benefits, including job creation, lower waste management costs, and reduced pollution. 
  • Ensure that the results are reliable, demand-driven, and societally relevant through a systematic set of communication and dissemination actions.  
  • Design a sound replication strategy for the project model in diverse EU regional contexts, with varying degrees of waste collection infrastructure, policy maturity, and socio-economic conditions.  
  • Ensure successful exploitation of the project results, designed to unlock the full market potential through the spin-off of project outcomes. 

  • Convert approximately 16,500 tonnes (wet basis) of urban organic waste into 230 tonnes of PHBV with HV content above 10% per year. 
  • Process up to 700 tonnes per year of high-quality cellulose from AHPs, leveraging synergies with CONTARINA’s waste management infrastructure. 
  • Divert approximately 20,000 tonnes per year of urban waste from disposal across the replication territories.  
  • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 17% for PHBV from organic waste compared with sugarcane-based polymers, while decreasing water use by 90%. 
  • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 40% for cellulose production compared to conventional AHP waste treatment (landfill and incineration). 
  • Improve separate waste collection and citizen services, as well as reduce waste fees.  
  • Generate employment opportunities in operations, supply chains, and product development, with the CONTARINA plant expected to create up to 175 new positions. 
  • Increase product safety by lowering potential health impacts (PHBV: −62% for general health effects; cellulose: −55% for cancer-related risks), helping to build greater public acceptance of bio-based products. 

Consortium map

Project coordination

  • CONTARINA SPA LOVADINA DI SPRESIANO TV, Italy

Consortium

  • NOVAMONT SPA NOVARA, Italy
  • FONDAZIONE UNIVERSITA CA FOSCARI VENEZIA VENEZIA, Italy
  • ENA SYMVOULOI ANAPTYXIS G P XANTHI, Greece
  • BIOTREND-INOVACAO E ENGENHARIA EM BIOTECNOLOGIA SA CANTANHEDE, Portugal
  • PEZY GROUP BV Houten, Netherlands
  • SABIO SRL LUGO, Italy
  • CSI Cestas, France
  • ECORYS BRUSSELS NV BRUSSEL, Belgium
  • PONIKVE EKO OTOK KRK DOO ZA KOMUNALNE DJELATNOSTI Krk, Croatia
  • SMC GROUP SRL Treviso, Italy
  • ASSOCIATION OF CITIES AND REGIONS FFOR SUSTAINABLE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT BRUXELLES, Belgium
  • EMPRESA MUNICIPAL DE LA INNOVACION Y DESARROLLO TECNOLOGICO SA Las Rozas De Madrid, Spain
  • SPRING SUSTAINABLE PROCESSES AND RESOURCES FOR INNOVATION AND NATIONAL GROWTH Milano, Italy
  • PAQUES BIOMATERIALS BV BALK, Netherlands
  • UNIVERSITA CA' FOSCARI VENEZIA VENEZIA, Italy
  • STICHTING WETSUS, EUROPEAN CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR SUSTAINABLE WATER TECHNOLOGY Leeuwarden, Netherlands
  • BIONANOPHARMA SOCIEDAD LIMITADA PATERNA, Spain
  • Zdruzenie obci Holeska na triedenie a nakladanie s odpadmi Borovce, Slovakia
  • I FORIA ITALIA SRL PESCARA, Italy
  • SOPREMA STRASBOURG, France
  • AQUAINSILICO LDA TORRES VEDRAS, Portugal
  • RENEWI NEDERLAND BV Eindhoven, Netherlands
  • NORMEC OWS GENT, Belgium
  • SIPHA SOCIETA A RESPONSABILITA LIMITATA FROSINONE, Italy