The Rebiolution project is divided into 7 different Work Packages
The goal of WP1 is to manage and coordinate the project implementation. The coordinator of the REBIOLUTION project, BASF, will be in charge of assuring the achievement of objectives, ensuring timely delivery of all technical reports to the European Commission and identifying risks and apply corrective action plan when necessary. Also, the REBIOLUTION project counts on an External Advisory Board formed by end-users’ companies, so that market needs are properly considered across the project implementation. WP1 will as well manage the the involvement of External Advisory experts.
The main objective of WP2 is to design and manufacture the novel bio-based and biodegradable polyesters blends containing the key molecule of the REBIOLUTION project: the FDCA monomer. The polyester blends THE REBIOLUTION PROJECT will deliver will be made of FDCA along with other commercial bio-based monomers and polymers.
During WP2, the most optimized combination (in terms of final properties, biodegradability and recyclability, environmental sustainability, etc) will be researched, synthetized and scaled-up. For this purpose, WP2 will be part of a feedback loop with the rest of technical WPs, which will be the ones in charge of investigating the desired requirements (properties, end-of-life management, etc).
Food packaging and mulch films are the final applications the REBIOLUTION project focuses on. The goal of WP3 is to produce, using the different blends produced in WP2, these final applications and to test them to ensure the required properties.
In the case of food packaging, the REBIOLUTION project will deliver plastic-coated paperboard which needs to perform in terms of barrier properties, sealability, weight, selected properties related to food contact legal requirements, etc. In the case of mulch films, the time of stability of the mulch film in soil is key, as well as mechanical properties so that the laying out with existing machines after use are ensured. As previously explained, the REBIOLUTION project relies on a feedback loop of technical WPs with WP2; in this case, the properties of the blends will be improved based on results from WP3.
This WP deals with the end-of-life management of the REBIOLUTION project products. The objective is to assess the behaviour of the developed polymer blends in organic recycling and composting conditions, their biodegradability in open environments (soil, marine, fresh water) and their potential to be mechanically recycled (in the case of plastic-coated paper).
In order to ensure that, by the end of the project, the REBIOLUTION project polymer blends will be valid for all these end-of-life environments, a process of optimization will be run, consisting on testing the blends in each of these environments and sending back the results to WP2, so that the formulation can be improved to better perform.
The goal of WP5 is to demonstrate the competitiveness of the REBIOLUTION project production processes (such as polymers manufacture or recycling technologies) in terms of cost and environmental performance. To achieve this goal, a optimised eco-design based on modelling tools and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC) methodologies will be performed. Based on a multi-objective optimization algorithm, the environmental and economic performance of the value chain will be assured, so that pilot plants can scale-up the production of the REBIOLUTION project blends and products.
In order to ensure that the REBIOLUTION project products can soon reach the market, a tailored Exploitation process must be developed during the project implementation. Legal aspects (such as regulatory aspects of food-packaging materials) will be addressed in this WP, so that the technical solutions fulfil the legal requirements. Intellectual property management, market identification and the elaboration of a business plan will be part of the key activities of WP6 as well. Finally, and based on the technical work implemented during the project, recommendation to policy makers and Standardization institutions will be delivered, so that key findings can be used to update policies at national/European levels.
The main goal of WP7 is to maximise the impact of the project through Dissemination and Communication activities. During the three years of the project implementation, this WP will be in charge of properly disseminating the achieved goals of and challenges to the key stakeholders: the research community, Governmental institutions and policy makers, end-users of the REBIOLUTION project products (e.g., farmers or plastic converters, as well as consumers) and also end-of-life actors, such as recycling companies. In terms of communication activities, this WP will be in charge of creating and maintaining updated both the webpage of the project and the different social networks (e.g., LinkedIn, twitter), developing brochures and press releases, coordinating clustering activities with other European projects, etc.