Page 50 - Plastics News March 2025
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
from NOVAMONT, presented some of the com- The second day began with a presentation by
pany’s projects based on modular and flexible Francesco Colizzi from the Institute of Advanced
biorefinery models capable of processing differ- Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC), who described
ent waste streams, from municipal solid waste technologies to optimise the biodegradation of
(MSW) to absorbent hygiene products and even polymers, such as the modification of specific
wastewater. Finally, Jenifer Mitjà from TotalEn- enzymes. Next, Jing Liu and Elton Melo of BPC
ergies Corbion discussed the different end-of- Instruments presented innovative methods for
life options for PLA, from reuse to recycling and assessing biodegradability and compostability in
composting, and identified the most suitable closed chambers in the session Improving Plastic
alternatives depending on the different applica- Biodegradation.
tions.
Gemma Buron, from IRTA (Institute of Agrifood
In the third session, Post-Production Processes Research and Technology), presented research
for Bioplastics, Bruno Ferreira of BIOTREND ex- carried out as part of the SOLFORPLAS project
plored PHA production through various case and how specific treatments can aid the complex
studies, such as the ELLIPSE project. José Ma- degradation of polyethylene. Luis Cabedo from
ría Guijarro of SAV explained the company’s CEBIMAT, a spin-off of the UJI, presented re-
commitment to biotechnology to valorise cer- search aimed at improving the biodegradation of
tain residues for which there are no established bioplastics in compost. Finally, Elena Domínguez,
management cycles, such as rice straw, coffee a leading researcher in Controlled Release and
grounds and other waste materials. Finally, Vin- Soil Quality at AIMPLAS, discussed the applica-
cent Gavroy of APPLEXION presented advanced bility of bioplastics obtained through biotechno-
purification technologies that optimise fermenta- logical pathways and their controlled biodeg-
tion processes to obtain functional ingredients, radation for the release of microorganisms and
healthy foods and new bio-based molecules. natural extracts in agriculture. Domínguez em-
phasised how these developments optimise the
In the final session on Wednesday 5 March, en- use of bio-inputs, improve resource efficiency
titled Harnessing Microbial Power: Enzymatic and reduce environmental impact. She also high-
Solutions for Bioplastic Recycling, Laura de lighted their alignment with agrobiotechnology
Eugenio of CSIC presented innovations in en- strategies supported by regulatory frameworks
zymatic recycling. Kristie Tanner of DARWIN such as the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)
BIOPROSPECTING explained how the compa- and the Voluntary Code of Conduct. These solu-
ny works to translate microbial potential into tions help to reduce the use of synthetic agro-
market-ready applications in areas as diverse chemicals and promote more sustainable mate-
as health and the environment. Concluding the rials.
first day’s presentations, Christian Sonnendeck-
er from the University of Leipzig presented ad- The final session focused on techno-economic
vances in enzymatic recycling of PET and PBS and environmental aspects. Apostolis Koutinas
using the PHL7 enzyme and a new rapid system of NTUA (Agricultural University of Athens) pre-
for monitoring the enzymatic hydrolysis of plas- sented advances in research on bioplastic deg-
tics by measuring the thickness of plastic films. radation for rigid packaging, analysing economic
feasibility and environmental impact. Kealie Vo-
50 PLASTICS NEWS March 2025
