The FUSTARISE Project aims to find more sustainable ways to deal with lignocellulosic waste - plant waste from agriculture and forestry.

The project uses solvent-free mechanochemical techniques to transform this waste into products such as capsules and adhesives. The project is a consortium: AIMPLAS, a plastics technology centre which helps companies apply circular economy criteria to their business models, MIARCO, which specialises in adhesive and abrasive products, LISART, which works on cutting-edge food-contact paper and packaging, and La Unió Llauradora i Ramadera, which represents more than 20 000 farmers and livestock breeders in the Valencian Community.

Currently, the bulk of lignocellulosic waste ends up in landfills; mechanochemistry is a promising alternative. It recovers the lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose contained in the waste which can be transformed into high value-added products that can be sold as biosustainable and eco-sustainable alternatives.

Mechanochemistry is a clean and sustainable method: it reduces the consumption of solvents and reagents, some of which are toxic and harmful to the environment, and reduces energy and water consumption, the emission of gases into the atmosphere, and waste production.

The FUSTARISE Project is financed by the EU's European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).