FEDER - UNICAEN (EVA LAB) - ALGRIPLAST PROJECT
Kohesio
UNIVERSITE DE CAEN NORMANDIE
It is estimated today that each year, 6.5 to 8 million tonnes of plastic waste are dumped into the oceans. We are even talking about the 7th continent, creating unprecedented pollution and thus threatening biodiversity. According to studies, 70% of plastic waste found in the oceans comes from around ten single-use objects used daily. In France, single-use plastic bags (article 75 of Law no. 2015-992 relating to the energy transition for green growth) and microbeads in rinse-off cosmetics (article 6 of decree no. 2017-291 since 2018) are already banned. In 2020, plates, cups, cups and glasses will be added (article 73 of Law No. 2015-992 relating to the energy transition for green growth) and will perhaps follow straws and expanded polystyrene containers for consumption, the ban of which the government supports. These new restrictions are an opportunity for bioplastics to stand out. Growing very strongly since the beginning of the 2000s, bioplastics are biosourced and/or biodegradable polymers. Indeed, by offering materials adapted to current laws, the market for biosourced and biodegradable plastics should continue to expand. Biodegradable plastics can also be alternatives to materials used for single-use applications such as straws or cotton buds. Furthermore, thanks to rapid advances in green chemistry, the field of applications for these materials will broaden. There are also very few fillers / fibers / co-products / waste of natural origin that can be used in packaging in direct contact with food apart from starch and cellulose. One of the challenges will thus be to structure a sector and ensure, through the implementation of protocols and good practices, that the co-products and derivatives targeted by the ALGRIPLAST project can be used for such applications. The general objective of the ALGRIPLAST project is therefore to develop biodegradable plastic materials and finished products using derivatives and co-products of algae, cereals and vegetables with a view to a circular economy. The work will focus in particular on the search for new functionalities that can be provided by the use of these co-products and derivatives in the plastics industry.
Smarter Europe / Research and innovation / Research and innovation activities in public research centres and centres of competence including networking