New European Bauhaus Prizes 2023

Concept category

Identify the award category for which this concept is being submitted
Shaping a circular industrial ecosystem and supporting life-cycle thinking

Email user
benedetta.rotondo@polimi.it

Basic information
Concept title
POMOPLA^2

Full Concept Title
POMOPLA^2: new bio-based composite with tomato by-products for circular packaging application

Please provide a short, catchy description of your concept to be used in communication towards the public
POMOPLA^2 is an innovative biocomposite that enhances tomato by-products of agri-food companies for both flexible and rigid packaging. Following the goals of Green Deal and the principles of circular economy, the concept was to replace fossil-based plastics (e.g., PP, PE, PET) currently used to pack fresh tomatoes with POMOPLA^2, a more sustainable solution coming from renewable and biodegradable feedstocks.

What was the geographical scope of your concept?
National

Where was your concept implemented?
Member State(s) and Western Balkans
Italy

If relevant, insert names of region(s)/municipality(ies) involved
The cooperative Finagricola (Battipaglia, Salerno, Italy) was selected as first possible future collaborator interested in recovering its by-products.

Does your concept address mainly urban or rural issues?
Mainly urban

Does your concept refer to a physical transformation of the built environment or other types of transformations (hard or soft investments)?
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)

Has your concept benefited from EU programmes and/or funds?
No

Has your concept won an EU prize with a monetary value awarded?
No

On whose behalf are you submitting the application?
As an individual
Social Media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)
- URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benedettarotondo/
  Social media handle and associated hashtag(s): LinkedIn
In case my concept is selected as a finalist of the NEB Prizes 2023, I agree to share the name (individual and/or organisation’s), email address, website and social media accounts indicated above with other NEB Prizes finalists. I also agree to publish the name (individual and/or organisation’s), website and social media accounts indicated above next to the public description of my concept in the channels of the European Commission
Yes

How did you hear about the New European Bauhaus Prizes?
Social Media

Description of the concept
Please provide a summary of your concept.
The low availability of fossil resources, increased pollution caused by traditional plastics, and new regulatory restrictions pushed companies to adopt more sustainable solutions, especially for short lifetime applications such as packaging.

The present project focuses on the development of a performing biocomposite that enhances the by-products of agri-food industries: POMOPLA^2 is an innovative material based on a plasticized polylactic acid (PLA) matrix filled with tomato scraps for both flexible and rigid packaging.
PLA is a versatile bio-based and biodegradable polymer with high strength and stiffness, and good processability. However, brittleness limits its industrial applications where plastic deformation at high impact rate is required. To overcome this drawback, a renewable and biodegradable plasticizer (named LABD) obtained from esterification of butanediol with linseed fatty acids was mixed with the PLA. Once the optimal extruded formulation (PLA + 5% w/w LABD) was identified, powdered and dried industrial tomato waste composed mainly of tomato peels was added as filler to the matrix.

The cooperative Finagricola (Battipaglia, Salerno, Italy) was selected as possible future collaborator interested in recovering its by-products. Following the principle of circular economy, the concept was to give a second life to tomato waste through the development of POMOPLA^2, representing a promising substitute for current fossil-based plastics (e.g., PP, PE, PET) used by Finagricola to pack and sell fresh tomatoes.

Please indicate the main themes of your concept with 5 key words.
Biocomposite

Please indicate the main themes of your concept with key words
Sustainability

Please indicate the main themes of your concept with key words
Circular economy

Please indicate the main themes of your concept with key words
By-products

Please indicate the main themes of your concept with key words
Packaging

Please give information about the key objectives of your concept in terms of sustainability and how these have been met. Please highlight how the concept can be exemplary in this context.
The project follows the principles set out by the Circular Economy Action Plan 2.0 (one of the key elements of the European Green Deal), which promotes the transition to the circular economy, the reduction of waste and the use of renewable resources.

The production and application of the new biocomposite POMOPLA^2 would bring several advantages both environmentally and economically for the company interested in a possible and future collaboration.
The main positive aspects concern:
• The enhancement and reuse of tomato by-products, reducing waste (according to the goal 12 of Agenda 2030);
• The adoption by the company of a circular economy approach, promoting the efficient use of resources (according to the European Green Deal);
• The use of renewable resources unlike petroleum-based plastics;
• The more sustainable extrusion of the blend at lower temperature (so it requires less energy to be performed);
• The cost of PLA is reduced (tomato waste is added to the matrix and less PLA is needed);
• The material being based on PLA can be processed with traditional plastics processing (e.g. extrusion and thermoforming);
• The use of current packaging models and shapes on the market allows the company not to invest in the production of a new mould for the thermoforming process;
• The company can easily promote its sustainability strategies through a line of “Bio” products packed with the biocomposite POMOPLA^2;
• The end user might be more tempted to buy that product because of ethical and sustainability reasons.

Please give information about the key objectives of your concept in terms of aesthetics and quality of experience for people (through design, positive emotions and cultural benefits) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the concept can be exemplary in this context.
The addition of natural fibers (tomato peels scraps) modifies the aesthetics and the texture of the final material and should help the user to perceive that it is not a traditional plastic, but rather a bioplastic, facilitating its disposal in the organic waste. Increasing the amount of waste, the colour from yellow (sample with 5% tomato) changes to bright light orange and then it becomes more and more dark until it tends to brown (sample with 20% tomato).

Finally, inserting more vegetable by-products in the material, decreases the transparency and increases the perceived natural character of the material given by the tomato fibers. A compromise has been found between the natural appearance of the packaging and the transparency. The latter is a very important aspect because the user must see well the vegetables' quality when purchasing, so a transparency test was performed with ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy.

Please give information about the key objectives of your concept in terms of inclusion (ranging from accessibility and affordability for all to inclusive governing systems, design for all principles or new societal models) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the concept can be exemplary in this context.
The following project aims to direct companies to adopt greener solutions. In fact, numerous regulations have been introduced to limit the use of traditional plastics and promote the biodegradable plastics industry. For example, at European level, the Single Use Plastic Directive (SUP), which came into force in 2019, requires the reduction of plastic in single-use applications by encouraging the development of benign and natural alternatives, not chemically modified.

The concept of circular economy developed can be extended to the whole Italian or even European territory. The idea is to start involving small and medium-sized farms in the recovery of organic waste by reintroducing it into the same supply chain as packaging material. In this circular system are also involved all consumers, sensitive and informed on the sustainability issues, which through their more and more careful and responsible purchases urge and speed up the change in the industrial production.

Please explain the way citizens benefiting from or affected by the concept and civil society have been / will be involved in the concept and what has been / will be the impact of this involvement on the concept.
Users, therefore citizens, can buy the tomato tray made of POMOPLA^2 in the supermarkets. Once the product is consumed, the packaging can be disposed of in the organic waste bin together with the remaining tomato residues (branches, peels, etc.) because it should be biodegradable and compostable (biodegradability and compostability tests are planned for the future). In the composting plants at elevated temperature and humidity the organic waste is processed to obtain compost, a natural and ecological fertilizer that can at least partially replace chemical fertilizers for a new agricultural production.

The citizen becomes, therefore, a main and responsible actor for the ecological transition. In addition, awareness campaigns are planned to better educate users to the proper disposal of POMOPLA^2. This avoids that the new biocomposite is throw into the plastic bin affecting the plastic recycling process, but it is thrown into the organic waste container.

Please explain how different stakeholders at various levels (local, regional, national, European) were engaged in the design and development of the concept. Please highlight what the added value of their engagement was
One stakeholder of the project is Finagricola (Battipaglia, Italy), an agri-food industry chosen as possible partner. The idea was to develop a new material with the waste produced by the company to enhance and reintroduce them in the same supply chain. Regarding the final application of the material developed, one possibility consists in the production of fresh vegetables packaging, especially for tomatoes. Currently, Finagricola distributes its products in trays and plastic films made of PP and PET. Assuming the reuse of all the discarded tomato skins (about 900 tons per years), the company could produce around 14 million trays per year (each of which weighs 15 g and can contain 200 g of tomatoes) and then sell on the market about 2500 tons of tomatoes. The numbers obtained seem very high, this is because the percentage of tomato peels scraps used for each package is not high, but equal to about 3 g. The company can therefore consider selling an entire line of tomatoes packaged with POMOPLA^2.

During the interview with Finagricola, further options for the application of POMOPLA^2 emerged, involving the creation of organic mulching materials and elements for setting up the pallets (such as strapping, corner protectors and platforms). They represent other possible solutions, always remaining within the same chain and therefore satisfying the business needs.

Please explain which disciplines and / or knowledge fields were reflected in the design and development of your concept. Please explain how representatives of these different fields interacted with each other, and what the added value of this process was
For the development of the project different multidisciplinary knowledges were needed. Specifically, skills in the field of chemistry and material engineering for the material development and all the tests conducted on POMOPLA^2 (mechanical characterization, morphological analysis, thermal analysis, food contact migration analysis, water vapour permeability test and transparency test). Moreover, knowledge in the field of design has been essential to analyze case studies of biocomposites made with natural waste, planning interviews with possible future partners interested in reusing their waste and defining the system of circular economy around POMOPLA^2 and so its final application.

For now the project was carried out only at experimental level in the laboratory; first at the Smart Materials laboratory of Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia in Genova and then at Chimica Materiali e Ingegneria Chimica laboratories of Politecnico di Milano with the research group Making Materials (Milano Bovisa).

Please explain the innovative character of your concept when compared to mainstream actions in the field of the concept.
POMOPLA^2 is an innovative biocomposite, 100% biobaed, with mechanical, thermal and barrier properties similar to current fossil-based plastics (e.g. polypropylene) used to pack fruits and vegetables. So maintaining the same performances it is possible to get the same packaging product but with lower environmental impact.

The result of the study is a material that respect the ecosystem, contribute to sustainable development and at the same time promote the concept of circular economy. In fact, a very important aspect of the whole project is the circularity: POMOPLA^2 enhances the tomato waste of the agri-food companies. Every year, in fact, agricultural-based industries generate many by-products (peels, seeds, pits, pulps, leaves, etc.), which constitute up to 30% of the initial food mass processed. It is, therefore, fundamental to find new alternative uses to impart additional value to these organic scraps [1].

In particular, in this project it was decided to work only with the tomato skins that are more resistant and hydrophobic, and give the orange colour to the material. Moreover, the mechanical tensile tests show that the addition of vegetable waste does not significantly weaken the matrix and at the same time gives lightness and natural appearance to the biocomposite.

Compared to pure PLA, POMOPLA^2 represents a more economical solution for companies because part of the PLA content (quite expensive bioplastic compared to petroleum-based plastics) is replaced by plasticizer and vegetable waste. Estimating the cost of POMOPLA^2, considering only the cost of raw materials, we have a reduced cost of 10% (adding only 5% of tomato skins) and 25% (adding 20% of tomato skins) compared to pure PLA.

References:
[1] Gowman, A. C., Picard, M. C., Lim, L.-T., Misra, M., & Mohanty, A. K. (2019). Fruit waste valorization for biodegradable biocomposite applications: A review. BioResources, 14(4), 10047–10092. https://doi.org/10.15376/BIORES.14.4.GOWMAN

Please which elements of your concept could be replicated or transferred to other places, groups of beneficiaries and contexts. This may involve, for example, aspects of the methodology, technology, processes, products, learnings, etc.
The designed circular economy system can be applied to all agri-food industries interested in giving a second life to their by-products. The cooperative Finagricola is one of the companies interviewed who showed interest in the project and was therefore taken as an example, but the concept could also be extended to other types of organic waste for the creation of new biocomposites.

Maintaining the same matrix in polylactic acid (PLA) and plasticizer it would be possible to test the addition of different natural scraps and understand how the mechanical, thermal, morphological and barrier properties change to define other possible final applications. This could involve other companies interested in adopting a circular approach and in minimizing the generation of by-products.

Please explain what kind of global challenges the concept addresses by providing local solutions
The project tries to achieve several objectives defined by the 2030 Agenda of United Nations and the Green Deal announced by the European Commission (specifically the New Circular Economy Action Plan). In particular, POMOPLA^2 encourages the transition from a linear economic system, based on take-make-consume-throw away pattern, to a circular economic system, a sustainable model that does not cause damage to the environment. Thanks to this circular approach, food waste is valorized and it is no longer considered waste but a resource.

At European level, even today, less than half of organic waste is recycled into biogas or compost or reused as animal feed. A large percentage ends up in landfill where it decomposes contaminating the soil and the air. The uncontrolled decomposition of organic material, in fact, releases large emissions of methane and generates problems of eutrophication, leading to the creation of unhealthy environments. Even incinerators, despite producing energy, have a significant impact on human health and the ecosystem. Burning food causes huge CO^2 emissions and serious respiratory and pulmonary diseases. From the circular economy point of view, waste should not be disposed of in landfills or incinerators but reintroduced into the supply chain as value-added products [1].

Another important problem that is addressed is the lack of fossil resources and the increased pollution caused by traditional plastics. Currently, it is urgent to safeguard as much as possible the raw materials, unfortunately limited and whose processing involves large carbon dioxide emissions. In fact, the 45% of the total CO^2 emissions come from the production of the matter used every day [2].

References:
[1] Too Good To Go. (2022). Where does food waste go in the end? https://toogoodtogo.org/en/movement/knowledge/where-does-food-waste-go-in-the-end
[2] European Parliament. (2021). Circular economy: definition, importance and benefits | News | European Parliament.

Please attach the development plan of your concept. This plan should detail the plans you have for the further development and implementation of your concept, with a particular attention to the steps envisaged in the year following the application. The plan should also include envisaged results and benefits from the concept for direct and indirect beneficiaries. The results and benefits should be specified in relation to the objectives of the concept, and to what is expected in the context of the respective category

Presentation POMOPLA^2_Benedetta Rotondo.pdf
Please attach at least one high resolution image or visual representation of your concept to your application.
If you would like to upload additional documentation, please upload or write below
- Master Thesis Benedetta Rotondo.pdf
- Video POMOPLA^2_Benedetta Rotondo.docx
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Yes

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Yes

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Yes

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