In the Valencia region, the agricultural sector generates around 800,000 tonnes of plant waste every year, including rice straw and citrus pruning residues. The recovery methods currently used for this biomass are costly because they require commercial enzymes that can account for up to 40% of the total process cost, which limits its industrial feasibility. In response to this challenge, the plastics technology centre AIMPLAS is coordinating the Biovalsa project, which aims to develop innovative processes for manufacturing sustainable bioplastics from agricultural waste and pruning residues. The project is funded by IVACE+i Innovación and receives financial support from the European Union through the ERDF Comunitat Valenciana programme for the 2021–2027 period.
Within the Biovalsa project, a new process is being developed to enable the use of agricultural waste for the production of bioplastics, which are an alternative to petrochemical-based synthetic plastics. The initiative seeks to establish alternative routes for recovering value from rice straw while avoiding the use of costly chemical compounds. The key objective is to apply methods that allow the separation of the three main fractions of lignocellulosic biomass, namely cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, which can then be used in various applications of interest to the bioplastics industry. This approach is in line with the principles of the circular economy, in which agricultural waste becomes a feedstock for the production of higher value added materials. The project takes into account both technological aspects related to biomass processing and issues of economic feasibility and potential market applications of the resulting biopolymers and biocomposites.
Recovery of lignocellulosic fractions for the bioplastics industry
The project aims to develop processes that will replace typical, costly and often chemically intensive methods for processing lignocellulosic biomass. The goal is to operate the treatment in such a way that the three key fractions, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, can be recovered for use in different applications in the bioplastics sector.
Cellulose is intended to be used to produce lactic acid, a basic compound obtained in fermentation processes and a key monomer for the synthesis of polylactic acid (PLA). PLA is currently one of the most widely used bioplastics, applied in particular in the packaging sector and in single-use products where biodegradability and compostability are required.
Hemicellulose, the second important fraction, is to serve as a feedstock for the production of succinic acid. This acid is necessary for the manufacture of polybutylene succinate (PBS), a biopolymer that offers higher flexibility and improved heat resistance compared to some other common bioplastics. PBS can be used in flexible packaging materials and in selected technical applications where increased temperature resistance is needed while maintaining biodegradability.
Lignin, the third main fraction of lignocellulosic biomass, is characterised by antimicrobial properties. For this reason, the project foresees its recovery and use as an additive to inhibit the growth of microorganisms in bioplastic materials. Incorporating lignin as an antimicrobial component can increase the market value of the materials produced and expand their range of potential applications, especially in areas where limiting microbial growth is important while preserving biodegradability and compostability.
Project partners and their roles
The Biovalsa project is coordinated by AIMPLAS, which contributes its experience in both waste recovery and biopolymer manufacturing. The University Institute of Food Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (FoodUPV) is also involved, together with three companies based in the Valencian Community: Bioban, Viromii and Prime Biopolymers.
Bioban is responsible for using its genomic analysis capabilities to identify the most suitable bacterial strains for biomass treatment processes. The selection of microorganisms capable of efficiently breaking down cellulose and hemicellulose is crucial for obtaining lactic and succinic acids under conditions that are economically viable at industrial scale.
Viromii is carrying out work related to the assessment of the economic feasibility of the new processes for obtaining biocomposites. This includes evaluating raw material and energy costs and the potential industrial scale, as well as analysing the competitiveness of the developed solutions compared to existing technologies based on petrochemical plastics.
Prime Biopolymers acts as the end user and is responsible for producing biomaterials from the intermediates obtained in the project and for assessing their applicability. These activities include analysing the processing behaviour and performance of the materials produced, as well as their potential for use in specific industrial applications.
Project progress and focus on biotechnology
The project is currently in its first year of implementation. At this stage, progress has been made in separating the components of rice straw using methods that do not require toxic substances. In parallel, various strains of bacteria and other microorganisms capable of degrading cellulose and hemicellulose are being tested to generate lactic and succinic acids needed for the production of bioplastics.
The use of biotechnology in this context is aimed at reducing the consumption of costly chemicals and commercial enzymes and at lowering the environmental impact of the processes. Applying microorganisms to convert biomass can help reduce the production costs of bioplastics and improve the energy balance of the entire manufacturing chain.
The Biovalsa project is aligned with the conclusions of the Strategic Specialised Innovation Committees (CEIE) on circular economy and enabling technologies promoted by IVACE+i Innovación. In the first case, it addresses the development of materials and technologies for producing high added value products from waste, and in the second, it supports the broader application of biotechnology to improve processes and products.
The initiative is also part of the main axes of the Smart Specialisation Strategy (S3) of the Valencian Community, coordinated by the regional Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Innovation and Trade. The solutions being developed combine issues related to the circular economy, the use of local resources and the development of biopolymer technologies, which may in future support the deployment of industrial production lines based on agricultural waste.
