Project description
Biodegradable food packaging from food waste
Most food packaging solutions made from fossil-based plastics are produced and consumed in an unsustainable manner, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions as large volumes of food plastic packaging end up as litter. The EU-funded EcoFLEXY project developed sustainable food packaging solutions from food waste through a near carbon-neutral production process. The EcoFLEXY project aims to be a leading player in the EUR 0.9 billion global market for flexible packaging for the food industry with a market share of 2.4 %. The project will conduct a feasibility study to determine customer requirements for sustainable packaging and to explore different food applications.
Objective
Cellugy has developed EcoFLEXY, a biopolymer from fruit waste. EcoFLEXY ready-to-use packaging films can be produced at a comparable cost to fossil plastics, due to an innovative “white biotechnology” production process: aerobic fermentation produces a unique, 100% pure, nanomaterial combining the positive attributes of cellulose with qualities such as extraordinary mechanical strength.
Most food packaging solutions made from fossil-based plastics are produced and consumed in an unsustainable manner. They emit greenhouse gases during production and degradation; the majority of food packaging is intended for single-use, while it takes hundreds of years for the material to degrade; large volumes of food plastic packaging ends up as litter, resulting in high waste management costs and the pollution of our ecosystem; and plastics are entering the food chain with potential harmful effects on human health.
There is an urgent need for bio-based alternatives. Given the emphasis that policy makers and consumers are placing on environmental issues, bio- based food packaging is likely to grow by 28.3% between 2018 and 2024.
Related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2 and 12, Cellugy is taking action and facilitating the transition towards more sustainable food packaging solutions.
EcoFLEXY is: produced from food waste (second-generation feedstocks); simple and cheap to produce through a near carbon-neutral production process; avoids microplastics pollution in the ocean; is home compostable and is recyclable in the existing system.
By 2026, Cellugy aims to be a leading player in the €0.9bn global market for flexible packaging for the food industry with a market share of 2.4%.
This feasibility study will permit Cellugy to confirm customer requirements for sustainable packaging, explore different food applications and specify target markets, validate the production process and identify the resources required to support growth.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology environmental engineering waste management
- social sciences economics and business business and management business models
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences environmental sciences pollution
- engineering and technology other engineering and technologies food technology food packaging
- engineering and technology industrial biotechnology bioprocessing technologies fermentation
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.2.3. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.3. - PRIORITY 'Societal challenges
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H2020-EU.2.1. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
2860 Soborg
Denmark
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.