Bio-plastics

According to data collected by European Bio-plastics, growing demand for more sustainable solutions is reflected in growing production capacities of bio-plastics: in 2013 production capacities amounted to 1.6 million tonnes. Market data of European Bio-plastics forecasts production capacities will increase by 2018 to approximately 6.7 million tonnes (Nova-Institute, 2014). Therefore, the demand for bio-plastics is increasing worldwide due to their biodegradable nature and the depletion of the bio-plastics fossil fuels that are used for the production of conventional plastics. However, bio-plastics such as PHA are still not competitive when compared with oil-based plastics because their production is based on the fermentation of costly substrates by pure cultures of organisms, requiring additional sterilization costs. INCOVER will develop a sustainable and low-cost PHA production approach, based on the use of wastewater as a renewable feedstock, using the carbon contained in the wastewater as a low-cost substrate for PHA accumulation in mixed microalgae-bacteria communities that will not require costs associated with maintaining aseptic conditions. The PHA accumulating strategy developed by INCOVER will allow for simultaneous PHA accumulation and P recovery, while providing a consistent and low cost (no external aeration needed) wastewater treatment.