Research

Europe imports 74% of the protein feed it needs and produces nitrogen fertiliser using the energy-intensive Haber-Bosch process. At the same time, large quantities of bound nitrogen are eliminated through combustion or in sewage treatment plants. Today, insects and microorganisms are used to recycle waste streams. The aim of the project is to develop an innovative process for the utilisation of organic waste fractions by cockroaches supported by an AI-assisted system. The BonsAI project has the following objectives: 1. Development of an AI-controlled bioconversion technology for the fully automated separation of organic and inorganic waste fractions with a separation efficiency of ≥ 95% and a bioconversion rate/biomass utilisation rate of ≥ 90% of the organic input 2. Scaling from laboratory scale (1 m³) to pilot plant level (10 m³) with proof of industrial suitability through continuous operation for ≥ 6 months 3. Achieving a throughput of 50 kg of organic matter/day (in the 10 m³ plant) 4. Development of new recycling products with defined quality standards: cockroach protein hydrolysates (≥ 90% protein content), hygienised feed (NPK content according to EU fertiliser regulation) and biogas co-substrates (≥ 70% of theoretical methane yield)

The project will establish circular biobased packaging value chain by fully exploiting the successful results earned from an ongoing H2020 project to scale-up the production of next generation biodegradable plastics, which will also be recyclable. We will focus on the best processes identified and capitalize on the lessons learned, by overcoming specific bottlenecks we identified by the LCA and TEA, to guarantee a sustainable and viable process. Production, recyclability, biodegradability, as well as mechanical and manufacturing properties of the new bioplastics will be tested at pilot scale. The main aim of the project is to: 1) scale up a plastic biorefinery process that integrates post-consumer plastic waste with bio-based building blocks, for more carbon neutral and biodegradable packaging, and 2) to overcome the technical and/or economic bottlenecks identified at prototype scale, to allow for a viable scale up to TRL7.

are earth elements (REEs) are typically required in small quantities, but they are essential for producing a wide range of technologically advanced products for electronic, optical, and magnetic applications. At present, the market is primarily supplied with virgin rare earths. Currently, there are no noteworthy recycling methods that could meet the constantly increasing demand for these elements. Therefore, REEaLIGN aims at developing a novel recycling process combining bioleaching, biosorption, and bioaccumulation, which enables a sustainable, ecofriendly recovery of REEs from electronic wastes. This 3-step Bioleaching-Biosorption-Bioaccumulation-process consist of the initial bioleaching utilizing metal extracting microorganisms to produce the metal extract including REEs which will be added to a lignin-based hydrogel in a batch process in which metals such as iron, copper, aluminum etc. Will be adsorbed, resulting in a metal extract suitable for bioaccumulation in which REEs will be accumulated in E-Coli for their recovery. Bioleaching, bioaccumulation and biosorption are state-of-the-art methods that not only have the potential to solve environmental challenges such as depletion of natural resources. They are also efficient and economically feasible, and sustainable. The overall combination of lignin-hydrogels as pretreatment to bioaccumulation for Rare Earth Recovery in this project is designed to be a process that neither needs toxic or harmful starting materials nor produce any toxic, harmful or problematic waste at the end of the recycling process.