European Project Turns Tomato, Olive Waste Into Bioplastic

Why this is here: The project’s bioplastics achieve a glass transition temperature of 80°C or higher, ensuring stability during industrial molding processes.

A European consortium led by the Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon is developing bioplastics from tomato and olive waste, alongside lignocellulosic biomass. The POLYMERS-5B project, funded with 5.6 million euros, aims to create bio-based polymers for automotive parts, textiles, packaging, and design. These new polyesters utilize biocatalysis and green chemistry to minimize toxic chemicals and extreme conditions during production.

The project focuses on second-generation biomass and agroindustrial byproducts, avoiding competition with food crops. A pilot plant currently produces up to 15 kilograms of the material at a time, having already reached Technology Readiness Level 5. Testing shows these bioplastics could reduce carbon footprints by about 50% compared to fossil fuel plastics.

However, scaling production and confirming long-term durability remain challenges. The team is using artificial intelligence to map the European market and identify optimal applications for these new polymers, targeting sectors where they can compete with existing bioplastics like PEF and PHA. Work continues to refine the materials and expand their use.