EFFECTIVE
Advanced Eco-designed Fibres and Films for large consumer products from biobased polyamides and polyesters in a circular EConomy perspecTIVE
Project details
- Type of project
- Innovation Action - Demonstration
- Project focus
- Textile
- Feedstock origin
- Agri-food wasteForestry waste
- Feedstock type
- Food industry sidestreamsLignin & wood residues
- Project period
- 1 June 2018 - 28 February 2023
- Status
- Completed
- CBE JU Contribution
- € 7 171 906,64
- Call identifier
- H2020-BBI-JTI-2017
Summary
Polyamides (nylon) and polyesters are two of the most widespread families of polymers, with applications spanning from garments, carpets and sportswear to automotive parts, packaging materials, fishing products, and electric and electronic components. In recent years, many producers have been striving to increase the sustainability of such products at affordable prices, which implies not only the use of bio-based materials but also a sustainable end-of-life of the products.
The EFFECTIVE project demonstrated first-of-their-kind and economically viable routes to produce bio-based polyamides and polyesters from sustainable renewable feedstock. The project produced bio-based fibres and films with enhanced properties, market competitiveness and increased sustainability.
EFFECTIVE used these materials to produce consumer products for different markets, such as textiles, construction, automotive, and packaging. The project’s team also proved their replication potential in fishing, engineering plastics, agriculture, hygiene, and personal care sectors.
EFFECTIVE carpet made from sugar, wood & straw waste
The overarching objective of the EFFECTIVE project was to demonstrate innovative and economically viable routes to produce bio-based polyamides and polyesters from renewable feedstocks.
Key scientific and technological, scale-up and product objectives included:
- Validate the production of sustainable feedstock for the subsequent conversion processes.
- Demonstrate innovative and sustainable processes to produce bio-based building blocks for the synthesis of bio-based polyamides and polyesters.
- Demonstrate the production of recyclable bio-based nylons.
- Demonstrate the production of bio-based and biodegradable polyesters.
- Validate the demonstrated bio-based nylons into fibres for garment and carpet products, and into films for primary packaging applications.
- Validate the demonstrated bio-based polyesters into films for secondary food applications.
Specific environmental objectives included:
- Eco-design of a new enhanced structure of products to enable the recycling of the different polymers at the end of the product’s life.
- Demonstrate the recyclability of bio-based nylons.
- Valorise the biodegradable plastic products at the end of their life through the production of compost and energy. Improve the environmental profile of the targeted biopolymers.
- Define a strategy and measures for standardising and certifying the developed bio-based processes and products.
- Assess the environmental and economic impacts of the whole process.
- Developed a process for producing 1st and 2nd generation sugars via sugar beet liquefaction.
- Developed 100% bio-based nylon 6, which was successfully produced at a pre-industrial scale.
- Produced yarns from bio-based polyamides and validated them in fabrics, garments, carpet prototypes, and films for both food and non-food applications.
- Two new bio-based value chains were created to produce polyamides for garment, carpet, and primary packaging products, and polyesters for secondary packaging products, from sustainable feedstock.
- Four new consumer products were created based on bio-based polymers.
- Established eco-design guidelines for manufacturing more recyclable garment and carpet products.
- Knowledge about the bio-based production processes was shared in 12 training sessions, on the project website, social media channels and at events.
- Achieved high replicability of materials and tested additional applications for the demonstrated bio-based materials.
- Novel bio-based materials with better performance and improved sustainability are brought to the market.
- Eco-design measures made more efficient through recycling trials, advancing sustainability practices.
Consortium map
Project coordination
- AQUAFILSLO PROIZVODNJA POLIAMIDNIH FILAMENTOV IN GRANULATOV DOO Ljubljana, Slovenia
Consortium
- CARVICO SPA Carvico, Italy
- NOVAMONT SPA Novara, Italy
- FUNDACION CIRCE CENTRO DE INVESTIGACION DE RECURSOS Y CONSUMOS ENERGETICOS Zaragoza, Spain
- GENOMATICA INC San Diego Ca, United States
- VAUDE SPORT GMBH & CO KG Tettnang, Germany
- AQUAFIL SPA Arco Tn, Italy
- BALSAN SAS Arthon, France
- LIFE CYCLE ENGINEERING SPA Castellamonte To, Italy
- SUDZUCKER AG Mannheim, Germany
- CIRCULAR CHANGE, INSTITUT ZA KROZNO GOSPODARSTVO Ljubljana, Slovenia
- AQUAFILCRO DOO Oroslavje, Croatia
- HENNES & MAURITZ GBC AB Stockholm, Sweden
- BIO-MI DRUSTVO S OGRANICENOM ODGOVORNOSCU ZA PROIZVODNJU, ISTRAZIVANJEI RAZVOJ Matulji, Croatia
- TESSILQUATTRO S.P.A. Arco, Italy
