Over a hundred international specialists in biotechnology and sustainability attended this seminar on 5-6 March. They discussed innovations in the field of biotechnology applied to the plastics sector and looked at the challenges ahead and the ways in which it contributes to society and the economy.

Opportunities:

• legislation such as the Global Plastics Treaty or the Circular Economy Act has considerable potential for these materials;
• bioplastics can improve the efficiency of sectors such as agriculture and, more broadly, their potential in an economy and society increasingly committed to bio-based and biodegradable materials.
• biotechnology has been included as a strategic sector in the Valencian government's reindustrialisation strategy.
• biopolymers can help reduce pollution, carbon footprint and dependence on fossil resources.

Challenges: 

• costs and funding 
• insufficient demand,
• transfer and funding, 
• regulation  and need for greater legislative support for the sector.

The bioeconomy has huge potential for finding solutions to some of the big problems facing society. This seminar came up with an impressive list of innovations in this field:

• integrating bioplastics into the circular economy through efficient separation and recycling technologies;
• converting complex urban cellulose-based wastes and residues from the agri-food industry into high value-added products such as bioethanol, bioethylene and CO₂, as well as other by-products such as feed, compost and biofertilisers;
• modular and flexible biorefinery models capable of processing different waste streams, from municipal solid waste to absorbent hygiene products and even wastewater;
• end-of-life options for PLA (Polylactic acid), from reuse to recycling and composting, with the most suitable alternatives depending on the different applications;
• making use of certain residues for which there are no established management cycles, such as rice straw, coffee grounds and other waste materials;
• advanced purification technologies that optimise fermentation processes to obtain functional ingredients, healthy foods and new bio-based molecules;
• enzymatic recycling;
• translating microbial potential into market-ready applications in areas as diverse as health and the environment;
• advances in enzymatic recycling of PET and PBS using the PHL7 enzyme and a new rapid system for monitoring the enzymatic hydrolysis of plastics by measuring the thickness of plastic films;
• technologies to optimise the biodegradation of polymers, such as the modification of specific enzymes;
• assessing biodegradability and compostability in closed chambers;
• specific treatments aiding the complex degradation of polyethylene;
• research geared to improving the biodegradation of bioplastics in compost;
• applicability of bioplastics obtained through biotechnological pathways and their controlled biodegradation for the release of microorganisms and natural extracts in agriculture. This optimises the use of bio-inputs, improves resource efficiency and reduces environmental impact and help reduce the use of synthetic agrochemicals;
• advances in research on bioplastic degradation for rigid packaging;
• climate impact of wood-derived biopolymers compared to fossil-based plastics;
• life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology for products and processes that support a sustainable bio-economy;
• new bioplastics from agro-industrial or biomass waste to increase their presence in high value-added sectors such as agriculture and transport.

The seminar was sponsored by ASOBIOCOM, BPC INSTRUMENTS and CULTIPLY, with the support of the Regional Ministry of Education, Culture, Universities and Employment, the UV-AIMPLAS Chair and the Unión de Mutuas, along with 17 biotechnology-related entities.