Plastics Technology Centre AIMPLAS has revealed its participation in the European MULTIPLY project, including developing recyclable barrier coatings and active cosmetics packaging made from microalgae.
Funded by the EU’s Horizon Europe programme and involving 17 strategic partners, the participants hope that replacing ingredients derived from fossil and food sources with bio-based alternatives will reduce the environmental footprint of everyday products and promote the ‘sustainable and profitable’ cultivation of microalgae across Europe.
The consortium is working with five species of microalgae — diatoms, Arthrospira (Spirulina), Tetraselmis, Nannochloropsis and Chromochloris zofingiensis — to develop ten high value-added products. These applications are aimed at sectors such as food, animal feed (salmon feed components enriched with microalgae compounds), cosmetics (oils and esters for personal care), lubricants and biomaterials and packaging (compostable films, paper coatings and packaging solutions based on algae oils and starch).
AIMPLAS’ role in the project involves developing solutions and materials from compounds and polymers extracted from microalgae for different packaging applications. This includes formulating recyclable barrier coatings for paper substrates with water and grease resistance, as an alternative to conventional paper/PE multilayer structures.
AIMPLAS is also taking part in developing active cosmetic packaging that integrates materials derived from microalgae including functional compounds, encapsulation matrices and structural materials, seeking to improve product stability and reduce the need for preservatives in cosmetic formulations.
The project is due to launch pilot activities for nutrient recovery and test a new monitoring tool in the coming months, as well as delivering the first algae extracts and oils for product development.
Last summer we reported on the BIOPROCESS project run by AIMPLAS, Potato Bioplastics, and Gaviplas which seeks to bolster the mechanical and barrier properties of flexible bioplastic packaging in the food, cosmetics, personal hygiene, detergent, and cleaning sectors. AIMPLAS applied Machine Direction Orientation (MDO) extrusion technology to commercial bioplastics to manufacture flexible bioplastic films and new formulations for natural polymers, including animal and plant proteins and materials sourced from algae, gelatins, and corn or potato starch.
More recently, we outlined the main impacts of the High Seas Treaty, which came into force in January with potential implications for the packaging industry – including access to marine genetic resources like seaweed and mandatory environmental impact assessments for shipping activities. It requires organizations to assess and evaluate the adverse effects of planned activities such as such as shipping, deep-sea mining, and fishing, identify preventive and mitigating measures, and consider any available alternatives.
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