The ELLIPSE project:

  • Applies a four phases methodology to expand the opportunities for the valorisation of bio-waste in all stages and across all sectors and meet the market requirements of the products for personal care and agriculture industries
  • Reach the scalability and consumer acceptance of the target products through 8 WPs

PHASE 1: Waste stream selection, analysis and pretreatment (WP2)

ELLIPSE arises as an efficient solution for the excess waste generated in meat production industries (slaughterhouse waste-bellygrass) and paper and pulp industries (paper and pulp sludge). These waste streams will be used as a feedstock for the production of volatile fatty acids (VFA) by acidogenic fermentation. VFAs are high valued metabolic intermediaries to be used in a wide range of applications such as the target ones in Phase 3. The secondary product of this process is the digestate which will be valorised in phase 2.

PHASE 2: Intermediary products (WP3 & WP6)

VFAs will be used for the production of PHAs by biotechnological processes. The digestate will be treated by two technologies (microalgae bioreactor and different types of membranes bioreactors) in order to recover the nutrients, mainly N and P. These nutrients are the base for future formulations of biobased fertilizers (BBFs.)

PHASE 3: Applications (WP4)

There are three big sectors in which the focus is set to validate both PHA and nutrients: personal care and agriculture. Personal care will use the PHA for rigid packaging and paper coated flexible packaging. Agriculture sector will include the use of the PHA for mulching film production, together with the combination of the recovered nutrients and PHA into a control-release BBF.

These three phases will be demonstrated in 3 PILOTS.

PHASE 4: End of life and assessment of the value chain (WP5 & WP7)

Three end of life alternatives (composting, mechanical and chemical recycling) will be validated with the obtained products and, when possible, integrated in the previous phases. In addition, a full life cycle assessment (at technical, economic and social level) will be carried out to evaluate the whole ELLIPSE value chain.

PHASE 5: Promotion of results to long-term transformation: exploitation and replication (WP8)

In parallel to the other phases, DEC activities are going to be carried out during the whole project to increase the number of actors in the value chain interested in the proposed solutions, disseminate the results and collaboration with other relevant projects.