Closing the loop: packaging made from wastewater sugar

The PHBOTTLE Project is an international project that aims to produce a biodegradable packaging with antioxidant properties for juice which is made from watewater sugars generated during the production of the juice.

European Fruit Juice Association (AIJN) is the representative association of the fruit juice industry in the European Union (EU) and is involved in the PHBOTTLE Project. The project is planning to develop a biodegradeable packaging solution that can be used for the juice industry. The clear goal of the project is to provide sustainable and comprehensive solutions to environmental problems of the juice industry - adding value to waste and transforming it into new materials with new functions.

Funded by the EU’s 7th Framework Programme, the project aims to produce, within 42 months, a new packaging for juices which is biodegradable and has antioxidant properties that extend the life of the food. The packaging will be made from sugars and other residues rich in carbon, nitrogen and oxygen present in the wastewater from the juice industry.

This project will apply the latest advances in microencapsulation, biotechnology and packaging technologies. An international consortium of eight companies and four technology centres, coordinated by Ainia Technology Centre, is working on the project.

The international consortium includes: Spain: Ainia Technology Centre, Aimplas (Plastic Technology Institute) and Cítricos y Refrescantes, S.A.; Belgium: European Fruit Juice Association (AIJN) and Omniform, S.A.; The Netherlands: TNO Technology Centre; Bulgaria: Silvel Limited; Portugal: Logoplaste Innovation Lab LDA; Argentina: National Institute of Industrial Technology (INTI); Mexico: Mega Empack S.A.; Brazil: Logoplaste do Brasil LTDA; and Honduras: Vanguardia SD de RL.

Reason for the project

The juice industry consumes a large amount of water, both for cleaning of equipment and facilities as well as for washing of fruits, etc.

The industry must treat such wastewater that contains huge quantities of organic waste in the form of sugars, which in turn are a valuable raw material for the production of bioplastics (plastics generated from organic waste and therefore degradable).

In its initial phase, the PHBOTTLE project is identifying microorganisms capable of converting organic residues from wastewater into a biodegradable polymeric material (plastic), the PHB  (polyhydroxybutyrate).

Once this material is obtained, its properties will be improved in a second phase of the project, with the incorporation of cellulose fibres and ingredients encapsulated with antioxidant properties. The aim is that the product obtained, when containing a food, is able to lengthen the life of the food and therefore increase its marketing and consumption window.

In a third phase, this material (after strengthening and improvement of its properties) will be moulded and then used to produce bottles of juice. Finally, these bottles will be validated and tested, by filling them with fruit juice from the same industry that generates the wastewater. This closes the loop - the waste generator becomes the beneficiary of the new package, tailored to the need of its product.

Life cycle analysis

Another environmental objective of the project is the life cycle analysis (LCA) of the new packaging, which is to cover all phases of the project. The aim is to determine the environmental impact during the entire lifetime of the generated material - from the raw materials used for its production, until the moment the final packaging is disposed of, in order to achieve a packaging that is a 100% biodegradable, with minimal environmental impact.

The new material will also be applied to non-food packaging, mainly packaging for pharmaceuticals and cleaning products as well as plastics for the automotive industry.

http://www.aijn.org/pages/juicy-news/phbottle.html