- Today starts EuroPHA Project where the SME and 8 partners from 10 countries take part of the project.
- The project will boost the use of bioplastics by reducing it cost and improving it’s biodegradability
- The project budget is 2.093.640,48€ and it is co-financed by EU. It will last until 2016.
Today has been celebrated in Murcia (Spain) the KickOff meeting of EuroPHA “Novel technology to boost the European Bioeconomy: reducing the production costs of PHA biopolymer and expanding its applications as 100% compostable food packaging bioplastic“.
This meeting represents a research project begining, which objective is to develop a bioplastic cost-effective and environmentally friendly. This bioplastic will use a novel formulation of PHA (foam and monolayer film) for 100% complete and short-time biodegradability food packaging bioplastics by current industrial technology (injection, blowing, foaming). Bioplastics like PHA are long-term sustainable alternatives to conventional petrochemical plastics.
Project will develop economical solutions by reducing PHA production costs: using low-value feedstock (agroindustrial waste/surplus streams) as starting material, and mixed microbial cultures for a three-phase biological synthesis of PHA.
Another benefit is that it’s environmentally friendly, as it is 100% biodegradable and solvent-free.
Also a novel formulations of PHA will be launch (foam and monolayer film) for 100% complete and short-time biodegradability food packaging bioplastics by current industrial technology (injection, blowing, foaming).
Tecnopackaging role
The aragonian SME will validate new bioplastic formulation in food packaging, allowing them to lead a new sector of the European green economy.
Tecnopackaging is a technology-based company founded in 2010. Located in Zaragoza (Spain), Tecnopackaging´s main purpose is conducting R+D+ i on advanced polymeric materials and their transformation processes for packaging and industrial plastic applications, targeting companies which operate directly or indirectly in the agri-food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and industrial sectors.
Research for the benefit of SMEs
This project has been cofinanced by European Union in the framework of FP7 -Reasearch for the benefit of SMEs-. The aim is to strengthen the ‘innovation capacity’ of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Europe and their contribution to the development of new technology based products and markets. The programme will help them outsource research, increase their research efforts, extend their networks, better exploit research results and acquire technological know how, bridging the gap between research and innovation.
