Three years have passed quickly and the EcoPlastiC project has now reached its conclusion. What began as a vision for advancing sustainable biopolymers has developed into a comprehensive journey of innovation, collaboration and impact. Over this period, partners have worked together to deliver significant scientific results, engage diverse audiences, and build strong connections with stakeholders across Europe and beyond. The final EcoPlastiC Review Meeting with the Project Officer Lazaros Perakis, PhD took place on 18 November 2025 

. Scientific experts Dr Monica Trif, Dr Alessandro Pellis and Dr Nikoletta Athanasopoulou (Innovation Radar expert) were also present, as they were appointed in advance to examine the overall progress and achievements of the project.

 (led by TUS, Ireland) ensured the smooth execution of the EcoPlastiC project, maintaining strong partner collaboration and timely progress throughout its duration. All 25/25 deliverables on time. The regular Steering Meetings and General Assemblies supported effective coordination.

 (also led by TUS, Ireland) developed high-yield, scalable monomers from the reactive extrusion (REX) and biocatalytic depolymerisation processes for mixed PET waste, including textile-derived PET. The REX process achieved >99% TPA yield and demonstrated industrial scalability reaching 59 kg/h with stable long-term operation at 44.25 kg/h. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) confirmed the environmental promise of the process and its alignment with circular bioeconomy principles. In parallel, biocatalytic routes enabled microbial degradation of PET-containing textiles with 

 strains emerging as highly promising candidates.

 (led by AVE, Belgium) isolated, enriched and optimised aerobic and anaerobic microbial communities capable of converting depolymerised REXed PET into PHA and protein-rich biomass. A total of 39 strains were evaluated, including 29 new isolates. Aerobic processes consistently outperformed anaerobic ones, achieving up to 97% COD removal. Pure cultures mainly produced high-protein biomass, with 

 identified as top performers (up to 80% protein content). NOVA’s mixed culture achieved the highest PHA productivity, with up to 40% PHA content.

 (led by NOVA, Portugal) scaled up PHA and protein-rich biomass production with promising mechanical properties, optimised green extraction processes and produced biopolymer materials suitable for packaging applications. Three biological processes were successfully scaled: mixed culture (25 L), 

 strain 24A (10 L) and strain DM-14 (17% PHA). Enzymatic extraction methods enabled 80–100% PHA recovery without compromising polymer properties. A novel 

 enzyme cocktail obtained by IMGGE provided efficient extraction across PHB, PHBV and mcl-PHA at 10× lower enzyme loads than commercial alternatives. Thymol-based NADES enhanced PHB recovery up to 92% with solvent recycling. Biomass streams from mixed cultures and strain 24A were successfully processed into plastic materials, including novel bio-polyurethanes incorporating bacterial biomass.

 (led by KTH, Sweden) transformed PHA and microbial protein biomasses into functional packaging demonstrators and evaluated their performance, recyclability and environmental behaviour. Films, trays, coatings, adhesives and multilayer materials were developed using combinations of PHA, SCP, PHBV, PHBH, PCL and PBAT. Several materials demonstrated mechanical recyclability through multiple repressing cycles. Hydrolytic degradation and soil biodegradation studies confirmed biodegradability. Two key technologies including CicloSeal bio-adhesive and CicloPack multilayer films were supported by market validation through Enterprise Ireland. High-visibility demonstrators included trays, tokens, coat hangers and 3D-printed PHB shoes derived from PHA and microbial protein biomasses.

 (led by IMGGE, Serbia) coordinated dissemination, communication, exploitation, stakeholder engagement and Open Science activities. Across the three years, partners delivered 175 dissemination activities, published 15 peer-reviewed articles (with eight more in preparation) and participated in 29 conferences with 46 scientific contributions. The consortium generated 15+ proposals based on EcoPlastiC knowledge, resulting in four funded follow-up projects, and EcoPlastiC innovations were highlighted twice by the EU Innovation Radar.

The achievements demonstrate that the project approached these activities with seriousness and dedication, reaching thousands of people and ensuring that EcoPlastiC’s outcomes will continue to resonate. This final stage marks not only the end of the project, but also the beginning of its legacy, as the knowledge and networks established will support future advances in biotechnology and sustainable materials.

External reviewers and the Project Officer commended the consortium for its robust technical achievements, high-quality results and strong interdisciplinary collaboration. They were very pleased with the progress of the project, the deliverables, the research results and output, as well as Consortium communication (internal and external) and dissemination. The experts encouraged the consortium to adopt a more coordinated exploitation strategy: identifying the most promising technologies, defining unique selling points and assessing scalability and market relevance. The Consortium welcomed this guidance and is committed to leveraging these insights to maximise the impact and long-term sustainability of EcoPlastiC innovations.

EcoPlastiC Year 3 Review Meeting 

Global Polymer Sustainability & Innovation Summit (GPSIS)

 was organised from 29-31 October 2025 at the Technological University of the Shannon in Athlone (Ireland) It brought together about 100 participants from academia, industry and policy to accelerate progress in sustainable polymer technologies. Over three days of talks, posters and panels, the community explored circular materials, green recycling, smart manufacturing, and the use of advanced digital tools to link process, structure and performance, with contributions spanning plastic-waste valorisation, medical and industrial case studies.

GPSIS 2025 highlighted clear trends in sustainable materials research, strengthened collaboration across the polymer value chain, and emphasized turning laboratory advances into practical circular-economy solutions. Attendees also showcased their work, received expert feedback, and built partnerships aimed at amplifying scientific excellence, industrial relevance, and workforce capacity. Programme and Abstract Book is available 

Participation in GPSIS 2025 enabled rich knowledge exchange, opened new avenues for collaboration, and raised the international profile of ongoing work in sustainable and circular polymer technologies; these outcomes directly advanced 

 objectives by elevating scientific excellence, strengthening international cooperation, and building capacity within the research team.

The technical agenda featured high-profile invited talks for example, Len Czuba on how medical polymers underpin modern healthcare and the end-of-life challenge in MedTech, Siobhán O. Matthews on supercritical-fluid (scCO₂) processing as a clean route for sustainable polymer manufacturing, and Professor Austin Coffey on aligning industry, research, and education to drive next-generation polymer innovation: illustrating the summit’s mix of scientific depth and industrial relevance; additional highlights included Mike Brooks’s “From Plastics to Patients” session on assuring the performance and safety of autoinjectors and Liam McGovern’s interpretable modelling of structure–performance in stretch-blow-molded packaging.

Consortium, there were 4 attendees from the Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest (TUS) that presented results from the project, while Dr Eduardo Lanzagorta Garcia and Dr Chaitra Venkatesh from TUS were attendees of the summit:

A New Approach to Plastic Waste Management and Pretreatment: Laying the Foundation for Sustainable Valorization and Green Recycling”

, summarizing the team’s ongoing work in this area:

Advancing Circular Solutions Through Green Recycling of PLA and Polyester-Based Waste Plastics”

, highlighting his PhD works in the field:

Sustainable Alternatives to PP: Advancing the Circular Economy with PET and PBT Contact Lens Molding” 

co-authored with Cuneyt Erdinc Tas (TUS), Paul Stidworthy (Bauch + Lomb) and Margaret Brennan Fournet (TUS):

From Light to Heat: Sustainable Photothermal Polymers for Future Smart Textiles

”, co-authored with Cuneyt Erdinc Tas, Buket Alkan Tas, Margaret Brennan Fournet, Marija Mojicevic, Eduardo Lanzagorta Garcia and Bor Shin Chee from TUS. She received a 

 for her oral presentation, highlighting the scientific excellence and impact of the work:

Near-Infrared-Induced High-Performance Antimicrobial Active Coating for Medical Textiles Based on Easy-to-Synthesize Natural Catechin with Full End-of-Life Circularity

” co-authored with Buket Alkan Tas, Necdet Ozcelik, Bor Shin Chee, Eduardo Lanzagorta Garcia, Marija Mojicevic, Margaret Brennan Fournet and Cuneyt Erdinc Tas from TUS:

EcoPlastiC: Turning Mixed PET Waste into High-Performance Biopolymers

” co-authored with Kim Windley (AVE), Filomena Freitas (NOVA), Mikael Hedenqvist (KTH), Jasmina Nikodinovic-Runic (IMGGE) and Margaret Brennan Fournet (TUS):

High Performance Biomass Films and Bio-Adhesives from Single-Cell Protein

” co-authored with Buket Alkan Tas, Necdet Ozcelik and Margaret Brennan Fournet from TUS:

EcoPlastiC at Global Polymer Sustainability & Innovation Summit (GPSIS) 2025

Plasticized microbial (single cell) proteins (MPs) can be used to produce ductile and flexible plastic films with good oxygen barrier properties. However, as with other hydrogen-bond-forming oxygen barrier materials, like ethylene–vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH), they need to be protected from moisture because moisture decreases the oxygen barrier properties. Here, we solved the problem by producing three-layer laminate films that are fully biobased and biodegradable. Two different MP films (originating from a mixed microbial culture and 

 biomass) were sandwiched between two different moisture-shielding polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) films (a poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-

-3-hydroxyvalerate) and a poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-

-3-hydroxyhexanoate) material). The low-temperature melting features of the PHAs made them suitable for lamination through hot-pressing with the MPs. Liquid-water-resistant and UV-blocking laminates could be obtained, where the individual layers were also possible to delaminate as a possible recycling solution, where the MP layer could potentially be used as a fertilizer and the PHA mechanically recycled into similar or other products or composted. The laminates showed, in the best cases, an oxygen permeability of 2 cm

day atm) and a water vapor permeability below 0.1g mm/(m

 day). All in all, the concept is promising as a sustainable biobased alternative to today’s fossil-based EVOH-laminate packaging solutions.

Toward greener multilayer packaging material solutions based on microbial protein and polyhydroxyalkanoate