H2020 RECOVER Project: Development of innovative biotic symbiosis for the biodegradation and synthesis of plastics to solve end-of-life challenges in the agricultural and food industries

The agriculture and food packaging industries consume huge amounts of plastic. Finding ways to reuse this material and reduce waste remains a major challenge. For example, around half of the used food packaging that ends up in municipal waste cannot be recycled because it contains food remains or is a mix of different plastics. This plastic waste is destined for landfills or incineration and can often end up in the soil. "Current recycling routes are insufficient to address these problems," explains RECOVER project coordinator María López of the University of Almería in Spain. "We need to find new solutions." RECOVER received funding from the Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking, a public-private partnership between the EU and industry. Turning plastic waste into useful products.

In response, RECOVER has pioneered new ways to turn plastic waste into useful products and eliminate existing plastic pollution. To do this, they employed biological solutions. "Our tools were microorganisms, insects, and earthworms," says López. "We combined their natural abilities to transform and eliminate plastic in three key scenarios." The first scenario focused on plastic that cannot be easily recycled. A combination of insects and microorganisms known to feed on and decompose plastic was tested.

This biological cocktail was used to break down plastic waste, creating a range of new possibilities. Manure from plastic-eating insects known as insect excrement was used to prepare fertilizers, while chitin, an antimicrobial compound extracted from insect exoskeletons, was used to produce biodegradable food packaging. "This food packaging can also extend the shelf life of food because it has antimicrobial properties," adds López. "We tested this on chicken breast in the project." Chitin and even insect parts were also used to produce agricultural films and biodegradable flower pots, respectively. "The idea is that these flower pots can be used alongside compost produced from insect excrement," explains López. Removing Contamination from Organic Waste A second scenario looked at organic waste streams, which often contain plastic. This contamination can be difficult to separate and remove, resulting in plastic contamination in compost.

To address this, the project used a particular type of earthworm, along with microorganisms, to remove this plastic. "The microorganisms can act as probiotics for the earthworms, helping them feed on the plastic and convert it into fertilizer," López notes. "This compost can be combined with the insect waste from our first scenario to produce high-value compost." The third scenario involved removing plastic contamination from the soil, this time using a different species of earthworm.

The project also looked at ways to monitor and model microplastic pollution in soil and compost. Key successes of the project included the development of a microplastic monitoring device, biodegradable pots, fertilizers, and films for food packaging. “All of these products are moving toward commercialization,” López notes. “However, removing plastic from soil proved to be more challenging.” This is something López believes the public should be aware of. “Plastics are in the environment, and there is still work to be done here,” she adds. “Our approach, however, could be part of a future solution.”

Indeed, much has been learned through the RECOVER project. "There are many biological solutions that could be used to help us achieve our recycling goals," says López. "This is just the tip of the iceberg, from a biotechnology perspective."