Sustainable manufacture of biodegradable film packaging from recalcitrant waste streams

我们的目标是通过将一种新的微藻-细菌处理方法与离子液体萃取相结合，用于生化分离和聚合物合成，将样品液体废水中的复杂化学物质混合物转化为生物基和可生物降解的聚合物复合材料。我们将为材料合成创造一种新的叙述，微生物细胞的化学组成将通过操纵培养条件来控制，从而决定提取的生物化学物质的大分子组成和结构。我们将以两种典型的废物流为目标，这两种废物流数量庞大，具有不同程度的难处理性：家庭渗滤液（来自垃圾填埋场）和工业渗滤液（来自堆肥）。尽管每天产生大量的渗滤液，但它们不被视为原料，因此其中的资源仍未开发。由此产生的化学原料将转化为包装的屏障涂料。目前还没有从诸如渗滤液等废物流出物中制造材料的工艺。将这些新颖的具有成本效益的技术与全面的技术经济评估（TEA）相结合，将使我们能够验证这条新制造管道的可持续性和碳足迹。

We aim to convert complex mixtures of chemicals in exemplar liquid effluents into bio-based and biodegradable polymer composites by combining a new microalgal-bacterial treatment method with ionic liquid extraction for biochemical separation and polymer synthesis. We will create a new narrative for material synthesis, where the chemical make-up of microbial cells will be controlled through manipulation of the cultivation conditions, and thereby dictating the macromolecular composition and structures of extracted biochemicals. We will target two exemplar waste streams, present in large volumes and with varying degrees of recalcitrancy: domestic leachate (from landfills) and industrial leachate (from composting). Despite the huge volumes of leachates produced each day, they are not considered a feedstock, and therefore the resources within them remain untapped. The resulting chemical feedstock will be converted into barrier coatings for packaging. There is no process currently in place to manufacture materials from waste effluents such as leachates. Integration of these novel cost-effective technologies and a comprehensive technoeconomic assessment (TEA) will allow us to validate the sustainability and carbon footprint of this new manufacturing pipeline.