H2020 Project KARMA2020: Valorization of industrial feather waste for sustainable materials based on KeRatin

During the KaRMA2020 project, the feather waste stream generated in poultry slaughterhouses has been valorized using various technologies tailored to their end applications. The consortium has solved some of the key problems associated with handling and treating feathers for use as valuable raw material. Key achievements include the development of a range of feather-derived raw materials, such as keratin hydrolysate, bioplastics, flame retardants, thermosetting resins, and nonwoven fabrics. As part of the project, humins, a byproduct of the sugar dehydration process, have also been incorporated into the value chain.

Initial laboratory-scale experiments have been replaced by pilot and industrial demonstrations, final product validation, and feasibility studies to ensure the implementation of innovative technologies. The potential of conversion technologies for down processing has been assessed in terms of feasibility, scalability, and cost-competitiveness. This assessment led to the selection of the most suitable technologies for the industrial manufacture of down-based raw materials. The scaling up of the different conversion technologies has been achieved by combining simulation software tools with pilot trials to produce down-based raw materials using technologies such as steam explosion, melt extrusion, spunbonding, and chemical conversion.

As a result, five different feather-based products have been manufactured and validated to the same standards as their petroleum-derived counterparts: trays for food packaging, fertilizers (including controlled-release fertilizers, CRFs), flame retardants (FRs) for PU-coated textiles, FR paints, and thermosetting composites. In terms of performance, most met more than 90% of the application requirements, and in some cases, the new product even outperformed them.

KaRMA2020 end products could replace fossil-based materials in some applications. Depending on the end product, the reduction in the use of fossil fuels ranges from 30% to 100%. These KaRMA2020 products could be guaranteed bio-based in the future through the corresponding "OK BIO-BASED" certification.

In addition to these new developments, the environmental impact of the project's technologies, processes, and materials has been assessed to ensure a lower carbon footprint. Along with this assessment, KaRMA2020 has developed a comprehensive waste management strategy that covers waste generation throughout the project's entire value chain and potential recovery pathways.

As part of the communications strategy, visual identity and communication materials (brochure, prospectus, website, etc.) were created, and 10 publications related to the KaRMA2020 results were disseminated. Furthermore, as part of the business plan, an in-depth market analysis was conducted, and the most appropriate ways to exploit KaRMA2020's innovations were proposed.

Finally, in recognition of the project’s innovations, KaRMA2020 received several awards, such as the SPIRE Award “2017-EU Process Industry Conference” as the most inspiring project, in addition to the Gold Medal with Special Mention of the Jury and the special award of the Joint Stock Company Design & Research Institute for Information Technology, Signaling and Telecommunication on Railway Transport JSC NIIAS, Russia, for the invention “Hydrophobic feathers based on nonwoven fabrics obtained by the spun-bonded technique” and the Gold Medal of the INNOVA 2019 Fair.