LUCRA will exploit the EU’s underutilized and abundant, Municipal Solid Waste and Wood waste as feedstocks for the large scale production of platform building block biobased chemicals at high yield with significant industrial end-user interest using a circular bioeconomy biorefinery approach. It will provide optimized and scaleable ‘breakthrough first of a kind’ innovative technology to create a step change from pilot to large scale integrated fermentation with novel electrochemical extraction of succinic acid (SA) at TRL7 that will facilitate its industrial implementation, business models and market feasibility. This will be achieved by the circular utilization of the mentioned renewable resources as feedstocks which will reduce to a large extent the dependence on fossil resources and achieves at the same time a sustainable SA production route. To fit the needs of the industrial level, LUCRA will optimize the hydrolysis process of the different feedstocks to obtain efficient cellulose and hemicellulose conversion. Enzymatic cocktails will be demonstrated aiming to maximize hydrolysis of fermentable carbohydrate content with low inhibitors production. The crude sugar-rich hydrolysates will be used as fermentation feedstock in an electrochemical membrane bioreactor for efficient extraction and production of SA. In situ extraction of SA will be achieved through an anion exchange membrane resulting in simultaneous acidification, concentration, lower NaOH consumption for pH regulation and less unit operations for SA purification. To demonstrated the produced SA that will be able to compete directly their fossil-based counterparts from petrochemical processes, different polyurethane dispersions and resins will be produced at semi-industrial scale. The process implemented in LUCRA targeting to reduce the cost of bio-SA and will demonstrate an 50% GHG reduction against conventional SA.

DEEP PURPLE creates a holistic consortium to transform diluted urban bio-wastes, including mixed waste streams, organicfraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW), wastewater (WW) and sewage sludge (SS), into feedstock for bio-industry toobtain sustainable bio-products. This revolutionary concept will be implemented in a novel Single-Site Multi-Platform Concept (Biomass, Cellulose and Biogas) to replace current polluting destructive practices with new value added concepts. The beneficial use of bio-waste is obtained by an innovative combination of optimized recovery technologies and novel solutions: the Purple Phototrophic Bacteria (PPB) PhotoBiorefinery. The use of PPB -the most versatile metabolismreported- ensures the adaption to fluctuating and diluted waste streams to support a stable and profitable production chain. Thefirst PPB PhotoBiorefinery in the EU (the biggest worldwide) will be validated in different environmental, economic, logisticand social scenarios. The concept will be implemented by end-users from four municipalities, namely Madrid (ES), Toledo (ES), and the Moravia-Silesia Region(CZ) to transform bio-wastes (OFMSW: 422 t/y, mixed waste: 438,000 m3/y) into high-added value bioproducts:fine chemicals (bio-cosmetics), fertilizers, bio-packaging and self-repairing construction materials. The marketuptake of DEEP PURPLE is facilitated by optimal logistics of bio-wastes conversion (reduction of landfilled OFMSW: 60%, WWTP, solids recovery: 71%), and bio-products quality to favor their commercialization (440 t/y). The integration of valuechains is boosted by relevant stakeholder’s participation and innovative business models, minimizing waste and maximizingbenefits (85 M€ benefits, GHG emissions savings: 11,300 tCO2eq/y in 2025). Key communities (social engagementstrategies) will participate in the new value creation, calibrating the returns of the project like social innovation promotion and creation of new opportunities along the urban value cycle.

Bio-based plastics are now seen as an eco-friendly substitute for traditional fossil-based plastics. Interestingly, aside from their environmentally friendly origins and in some cases, their biodegradability, bio-based plastics present a promising market potential for recycling, particularly through chemical depolymerisation. Nevertheless, before recycling, bio-based plastics must first be separated and isolated from other packaging materials. Achieving effective sorting of bio-based plastics presents a challenge in the market, as bio-based plastics require scale to be sorted and to form a circular economy. Yet, they also need circularity as a sustainability selling point to boost their sales. The PROSPER project brings together three bio-based plastic producers (including PLA and AAPE-blend producers), a major brand owner, an EPR scheme/PRO participant, a supplier of AI-sorting technology, a sorting testing center, four waste management companies, a municipality and a specialised consultant. It is supported by the scientific expertise of three research institutions and universities, as well as a policy-oriented non-profit organisation. The project offers a comprehensive approach by developing policy interventions, EPR fee scenarios and quantifying recycling rates and cost benefits associated with these scenarios. It also focuses on demonstrating technical advancements in sorting and recycling at industrial scale inside four real waste management companies. PROSPER will also evaluate the market potential for recycled bio-based plastic products through consumer studies, engagement with companies and PROs, while also assessing the Life Cycle, Social Life Cycle, material circularity indicators and economic business models. The institutionalisation of a system change by the different stakeholders in the bio-based plastics value chain will be crucial in achieving circularity, improving environmental performance and fostering positive impacts in the bio-based economy.

SCALIBUR creates a holistic consortium to cut urban biowaste and replace it with a new production chain of biomaterials, forming a partnership of end users to recover and transform biowaste from three municipalities, namely Madrid (ES), Albano (IT) and Kozani (EL), into value added products. During SCALIBUR a complete study of the quality, logistics and management schemes for municipal solid waste (MSW) and urban sewage sludge (USS) will be performed, to integrate innovative systems and technologies and obtain high-value biobased products. In SCALIBUR, HORECA waste will be transformed to proteins, lipids and chitin from insect rearing, while the organic fraction of MSW will generate biopesticides and bioplastics by high-solid enzymatic hydrolysis followed by fermentation. The resulting biogas from MSW and USS will be upgraded by bioelectrochemical treatment to produce commodity chemicals and bioplastics, such as PHBV. By cutting traditional linear waste management, new business models are created for the resulting circular value chains, applying a sustainable approach to generate new activities and benefits. These new profit sources will be created from a baseline analysis of existing waste management data and business models for each municipality, generating social innovation and favouring the adaptation and uptake of new opportunities along the entire urban value cycle. Continuous tests and development along SCALIBUR will create and fine tune new business models based on innovative processes, and feedback will be obtained from all stakeholders, in order to improve the definition, performance and integration of value, to minimize waste and maximize its benefit. With social engagement strategies, key communities will participate in all aspects of the new value creation, calibrating the returns of the project both for the generation of jobs and improved urban welfare, such as reducing the dependence from outside materials and the environmental impacts.

United Circles project will demonstrate, with 46 partners across 14 countries + 1 international body, three Industrial-Urban Symbiosis value chains, to upcycle of urban Food Waste, urban Wastewater Solids, and urban Construction & Demolition Waste (C&DW). To close urban and industrial water loops to reduce freshwater use in drought prone regions, and integrate energy co-generation technology in upcycling pathways. Made possible by advancing innovative technologies from TRL5 to TRL7 in combined integrated value chains, to enable zero waste cities and a decarbonised Process Industry. The value chains cover collection, sorting, upcycling and production of new upcycled products. To demonstrate how: 1) a demolish building’s C&DW can be transformed into a new 2 storey 3D printed building with upcycled low-carbon cement, cement bonded particle boards, and insulation foam; 2) a waste-water treatment plant can become a resource recovery centre for all materials, water and energy, in an integrated manner. By supplying high quality gas to the local gas grid, by providing upcycled cellulose as industrial feedstock to pulp & paper industries, and by providing clean water and fertilizer for agriculture; 3) food waste in the form of used cooking oil can be upcycled in a first application of 2nd generation biorefinery to create novel fully biodegradable and food waste origin bioplastic products for complete replacement of fossil fuels. The United Circles 3 value chain demonstrators will each be integrated in a Hub 4 Circularity, that will underpin their Industrial-Urban networks governance and evolution, using advanced governance frameworks, feasibility towards financing methodologies, digital tools, social and environmental innovations, and a material and products observatory. The H4C in the proposal will enable business to territory plans, with their regional stakeholder network, that seek to expand the demonstrator integrated technologies to higher TRL levels.