Valorizing agrifood wastewater through advanced biorefining techniques for sustainable packaging solutions – VALORBIO

VALORBIO aims at transforming the production of sustainable bioplastics by combining wastewater treatment, bioplastic manufacturing, and biodegradation into a unified solution for eco-friendly food packaging. The project leverages cutting-edge technologies to overcome longstanding challenges in biopolymer processing, resulting in a more efficient and environmentally responsible production process. At its core, VALORBIO adopts a circular approach that converts agrifood wastewater into valuable bioplastics while simultaneously monitoring the suitability of the treated effluent for potential water reuse in irrigation. By extracting microbial biomass containing polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) from this wastewater, the project will produce transparent films and other bioplastics for paper and paperboard food packaging. This innovative process not only boosts the biodegradability of the packaging but also significantly increases the overall biopolymer yield, making the entire production cycle more sustainable.
VALORBIO will be implemented by a consortium of six research groups with diverse expertise in environmental engineering, molecular biology, polymer chemistry, materials science, and environmental and socioeconomic assessments. This multidisciplinary team will collaborate to tackle the various technical, scientific, and economic challenges associated with the production of sustainable bioplastics. The project will focus specifically on the production of PHA-EPS-rich biomass from agrifood wastewater as a case study for bioplastic production, using innovative and sustainable techniques that will enhance the feasibility and scalability of this process. A disruptive co-extraction approach using new sustainable ionic liquids will be used, which offer the potential of producing plastics with enhanced properties without the need for toxic chemical additives. Blending PHA with EPS using ionic liquids has not been tested to date but offers substantial opportunities for increasing biopolymer recovery yields. This is a key factor in making the process economically viable. The higher the yield of PHA and EPS from the microbial biomass, the more bioplastic can be produced from a given amount of wastewater, thus reducing the reliance on conventional raw materials and minimizing the environmental impact of plastic production. This process also eliminates the need for energy-intensive chemical additives, making it a cleaner, more efficient approach to bioplastic manufacturing. Furthermore, the project integrates bioplastic production with biodegradation through co-fermentation, harnessing the combined benefits of microbial biomass, food packaging materials, ionic liquids, and food waste to produce volatile fatty acids (VFAs). These VFAs are then recycled back into agrifood wastewater, creating a closed-loop system that boosts biopolymer production.
In conclusion, VALORBIO is a pioneering project that brings together multiple disciplines to address some of the most pressing challenges in bioplastic production and waste management. By utilizing agrifood wastewater to produce high-quality, biodegradable bioplastics, the project offers a sustainable and circular solution that has the potential to transform the packaging industry. With its focus on cutting-edge technologies, sustainable materials, and closed-loop processes, VALORBIO represents a significant step forward in the transition to a more sustainable, circular economy.