{"id":12468,"date":"2026-03-30T04:24:54","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T08:24:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/?p=12468"},"modified":"2026-03-30T04:24:54","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T08:24:54","slug":"eu-funded-biosuppack-project-turns-brewery-waste-into-bioplastics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/?p=12468","title":{"rendered":"EU-funded BioSupPack project turns brewery waste into bioplastics"},"content":{"rendered":"


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A key achievement was a bioprocess using plasma pretreatment and microbial fermentation to convert spent brewery grains into high-purity polyhydroxybutyrate. Credit: Serhii Bobyk \/ Shutterstock.com.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

A European Union-funded research initiative has successfully demonstrated that brewery waste can be converted into bioplastics suitable for packaging.<\/p>\n

The BioSupPack project, which ran for five years, aimed to develop and validate polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) materials and production methods as sustainable alternatives to conventional plastics.<\/p>\n

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Coordinated by Spain\u2019s AIMPLAS technology centre, the project involved 18 partner organisations and secured \u20ac7.6m ($8.7m) from the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking.<\/p>\n

Researchers scaled up biorefinery processes to produce biobased materials for rigid packaging, delivering prototypes described as nearly market-ready.<\/p>\n

A key achievement was a bioprocess using plasma pretreatment and microbial fermentation to convert spent brewery grains into high-purity polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB).<\/p>\n

The method has reached a technology readiness level suitable for industrial settings.<\/p>\n

The project also developed biobased and biodegradable plastisol coatings for paperboard and textiles, now ready for licensing.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the consortium created industrially compostable fibre-based packaging with barrier properties comparable to fossil-based plastics, suitable for applications such as ice cream containers.<\/p>\n

One partner produced PHB-based materials optimised for rigid packaging. These are made from renewable waste streams, are fully biodegradable and recyclable, and have achieved a readiness level for industrial-scale production.<\/p>\n

A new sorting prototype will help recover packaging waste for enzymatic recycling, a process the project confirmed as effective for end-of-life management.<\/p>\n

Project results are now available to industry stakeholders across multiple sectors.<\/p>\n

Last year, the project previously announced the development of a compostable, renewable material from brewers\u2019 spent grain to replace conventional polyolefins.<\/p>\n

Separately, another initiative involving distilleries and universities is working on compostable packaging from distillery by-products.<\/p>\n

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