Viable, safe and sustainable PHBV value chain for food packaging applications

欧洲塑料政策强调生物基塑料是解决化石基塑料对环境负面影响的关键。最有前途的可生物降解生物聚合物之一是聚羟基烷酸酯（PHA）家族，可以在许多应用中取代这些化石基塑料。它们是由微生物从可再生碳源合成的，具有良好的性能和优异的生物降解性。从这个意义上说，ViSS项目将围绕PHBV（PHA家族的共聚物）创建一个新的价值链，作为传统塑料的安全，可持续和具有成本效益的替代品，特别是对于短保质期食品包装应用，因为它具有优异的性能，包括在相关环境（土壤，淡水，海洋，工业堆肥和家庭堆肥）中的灵活性，可加工性，可回收性和生物降解性。ViSS PHBV将由工业有机残留物生产，并将进行配制和复合，以转化和验证为高性能食品包装，可机械回收和生物降解。此外，整个ViSS循环价值链将基于合作方法并根据安全和可持续的标准构建，以满足欧盟法规并确保政策一致性，同时该项目将提供和传播数字化工具和资源，这将有利于提高生物基塑料的社会准备和市场化程度，促进ViSS的广泛采用和复制。我们的项目聚集了来自6个欧洲国家的15个合作伙伴，他们在不同的知识领域处于领先地位，从生物塑料生产到真实的包装应用的验证。采用ViSS价值链将产生相关成果，如改善功能和环境绩效：与化石燃料相比，二氧化碳排放量减少57.8%，每年节省11.7千吨原油，再循环288.95千吨生物质，避免使用2.2千吨有害物质。

The European plastics policy highlights bio-based plastics as a key piece to solve the negative impact of fossil-based plastics in the environment. One of the most promising biodegradable biopolymers is the polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) family that can replace these fossil-based plastics in many applications. They are synthesised by microorganisms from renewable carbon sources and exhibit good properties and excellent biodegradability. In this sense, ViSS project will create a new value chain around PHBV (a copolymer of the PHAs family) as a safe, sustainable, and cost-effective alternative to conventional plastics, especially for short shelf-life food packaging applications due to its excellent propertiesincluding flexibility, processability, recyclability and biodegradability in relevant environments (soil, freshwater, marine, industrial composting and home composting). ViSS PHBV will be produced from industrial organic residues and will be formulated and compounded to be transformed and validated as high-performance food packaging, being mechanically recyclable and biodegradable. Moreover, the whole ViSS circular value chain will be constructed upon a collaborative approach and under safe and sustainable criteria, accomplishing EU regulations and ensuring policy alignment, while the project will deliver and disseminate digital tools and resources which will favour an increased social readiness and marketability of bio-based plastics, fostering a ViSS wide adoption and replication. Our project gathers 15 partners from 6 European countries leaders in different fields of knowledge, from bioplastic production to validation in real packaging applications. Adoption of ViSS value chain will produce relevant outcomes as improved functionalities and environmental performances: reduction of 57.8% of CO2 emissions compared to fossil counterparts, yearly saving 11.7 kt of crude oil, recirculating 288.95 kt of biomass, avoiding the use of 2.2 kt of hazardous substances.