The main objective of the SOLRESS project is to propose an integrated biorefinery system to replace the chemical origin of some of the most widely used solvents in the industry, such as ethyl acetate, ethyl lactate and butyl acetate with a bio-based origin from second generation sugars from post-consumer coffee grounds and lignocellulosic feedstocks. The aim is to reinforce the integration of bio-based research and innovation throughout industrial bio-based systems. Moreover, in the valorisation process of these feedstocks, not only the cellulose fraction will be valorised, but also the hemicellulose fraction to obtain 2 of the most notorious green solvents of today, 2-MeTHF and GVL, from an additional line dedicated to the processing of furfural. The challenges will lie in improving downstream purification (DSP) processes and the techniques employed to achieve a technology that is efficient and cost-competitive with current chemical production systems for solvents. At the end of the project, all solvents will be validated in at least 3 of the most relevant applications (productive processes, formulations and recycling technologies) & at least 3 of the sectors with the greatest use of solvents (paints & coatings, cosmetics & materials processing) with the aim of evaluating its performance in comparison with its fossil-based counterparts, but also as a replacement for other dangerous and toxic solvents, such as NMP, CCL4, THF or toluene. Thus, the ambition of the SOLRESS project is triple: To replace the use of fossil, non-renewable raw materials with specific bio-based feedstocks in the production of some of the most widely used solvents. Offer SSbD alternatives to controversial solvents in terms of danger & toxicity (including the ones under the SVHC & SoCs categories). To improve the competitiveness of these processes by incorporating new methods & technologies that increase efficiency & sustainability, demonstrating their scalability & industrial applicability.

Kaffe Bueno has developed an innovative model for upcycling coffee waste into high-value ingredients. Coffee is highly bioactive with huge reservoirs of lipids, melanoidins and phenols. Yet we currently use just 1% of its potential. Discarded coffee waste ends up in landfill, producing methane and CO2, or is reused as biofuel or compost. Kaffe Bueno transforms this wasted resource into a business opportunity. We produce high quality coffee oil, melanoidins and lignin/phenols as sustainable, natural active ingredients, sold B2B to manufacturers of cosmetics and personal care products, helping Denmark and the EU meet their targets for carbon reduction by 2030. We aim to valorise 100% of our coffee waste feedstock. In this project, Kaffe Bueno will build and optimise a demo biorefinery with the capacity to process 200 tons of coffee waste /year, using our efficient, proprietary process, then use equity to expand this plant’s capacity to 1200 tons and invest in R & D for new applications.

The withdrawal of the most harmful pesticides from the EU market is necessary to mitigate major environmental harm, but is leaving many farmers in a desperate position. CROP-SAFE has identified 3 critical cases of food crops under threat from rapidly spreading pests, whilst go-to pesticides are identified by ECHA as candidates for imminent withdrawal, i.e. Candidates for Substitution (CfS) and Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC). 1. Potato crops, widely threatened by Potato cyst nematode (PCN). The approval period for the leading active against PCN, Fosthiazate (CfS), expires in 2027. 2. Tomato crops, suffering from losses up to 65% due to Root knot nematode (RKN). The approval period for Metham sodium (CfS, SVHV), one of the most widely uses actives against RKN, expires in 2025. 3. Banana crops, suffering from the European emergence of Banana Weevils (BW). Growers are using Lambda-cyhalothrin (CfS, SVHC) to manage BW, but the approval period lapses in 2026. CROP-SAFE will develop a holistic package of tools (bioactives, delivery materials, formulations and decision support models) for effective and sustainable management of PCN, RKN, and BW in these crops. Using scalable supplies of bio-based residues (aquatic biomass, forestry residues, spent coffee grounds and fungal waste) and three biorefining partners, CROP-SAFE will down-select the most effective boiactives and delivery materials as a basis for new, SSbD crop protection products. Field trials will be supported by decision support models, overcoming challenges associated with the variable performance of bioactives in different environmental conditions. The CROP-SAFE consortium combines the expertise of 3 Universities (UA, CNR, IQS-URL) and 4 RTOs (CPI, VITO, LEITAT, JHI) with material processing capacity in 3 biorefineries (BOR, ABA, KB) a leading developer of precision agriculture solutions, SE, and a cooperative, COPLACA, representing 3,200 farmers.