Primary Industry
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IndustryEnvironmental Services
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SizeSelf-employed
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Company TypePartnership
UPCYCLE is a Horizon Europe project that transforms currently non-recyclable mixed plastic waste into next-generation biodegradable and recyclable materials for sustainable packaging applications.
Building on the promising results of the H2020 UPLIFT project, UPCYCLE scales up innovative biorefinery and eco-polymer technologies to achieve economic viability and real-world impact.
Our strategy combines:
A Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design framework – ensuring safety (non-toxic materials), reducing GHG emissions by 30%, and cutting selling price by 40%.
AI-powered fast-track innovation – accelerating process intensification.
A versatile biorefinery process – valorising mixed plastic waste (both fossil- and bio-based) and biomass residues.
Smart polymerisation and formulation – using bio-based, degradable additives to fine-tune biodegradability and enhance performance for packaging use cases.
Through a multidisciplinary consortium of leading academic and industrial partners, UPCYCLE develops novel PHA-, PLA-, and Furan-based packaging formulations that demonstrate how renewable and upcycled building blocks can be blended into existing polymer systems.
By enabling a fast-track pathway towards circular, safe, and economically viable packaging solutions, UPCYCLE promotes a sustainable business model for European recyclers, polymer processors, and packaging producers – contributing to Europe’s circular economy and climate goals.
