RefuCoat project aims to develop hybrid bio-based high oxygen/water barrier and active coatings to be used in a monolayer bio-based food packages (films and trays) as alternative to current metallised and modified atmosphere (MAP) packages to avoid the use of non-renewable materials in multilayer structures that currently lead to complex and expensive recycling steps. Hybrid coating formulations will combine cost-efficiently produced polyglycolic acid (PGA) and modified silica oxide. Fully biodegradable packages for fresh food products will be obtained with middle chain modified PHAs. PGA and PHA based hybrid coatings with high gas barrier properties will be further improved with active substances for improved shelf-life. Furthermore, new packages based on bio-PET and bio-PE combined with hybrid and active coatings will be developed. The generated products will be validated and compared to current metallised, non bio-based alternatives in industrial products, in performance, shelf-life and biodegradability. Safety and regulatory compliance, environmental and economic sustainability will be specifically addressed. RefuCoat consortium is formed by 12 synergistic partners, 7 of them BIC members, reunites all actors in the value chain, SME partners (MIPLAST and IRIS), industrial partners (UNILEVER, MANOR, DACSA and BIOPOLIS), and RTO Partners (THUNEN, CIB, AIMPLAS, EUFIC, Fraunhofer and AINIA). The project maximizes exploitation within the Consortium, promoting a circular economy concept, but also considers dissemination and communication in order to maximize the value of the project outcomes. maximizesexploitation within the consortium, promoting a circular economy concept, but also considers dissemination andcommunication in order to maximize the value of the project outcomes. Refucoat main impacts are expected in the improved performance of food packages, reduction of landfilling waste, cost-and environmental effectiveness in processing by Life Cycle and Techno-Economic Assessment, improved preservation of food products, new markets and contribution to KPI of BBI-JI. RefuCoat aims at a significant contribution in more than 880 jobs.

Today, fresh food as well as convenience food is sold in packages. Hygienic conditions, long shelf life and easy availability of these packed products account for our standard of living. However, this convenience contributes in a significant way to environmental pollution, as packaging is mainly achieved by plastic materials in this case. Biodegradable packaging materials have been on the market for many decades. However, there are severe restrictions preventing their broad application in food packaging, as these materials do not provide the requested properties, such as a sufficient barrier against water vapour, oxygen or flavours. Our idea is to improve these properties by a biodegradable coating. We have developed high-barrier coatings based on a class of materials with glass-like structural units, so called ORMOCER®s. However, these coatings are not biobased, nor biodegradable. The target of the planned project is the development of new functional hybrid (inorganic-organic) coatings for applications in food, cosmetic & medical device packaging. These new coatings will be based on the work of Fraunhofer ISC who has patented and licensed ORMOCER® lacquers used for coating applications in order to increase barrier properties of packaging films. The aim of the planned project is to synthesise new coating materials based on bioORMOCER®s, which are formed of functionalised biopolymers extracted from lignocellulosic biomass sources using the bioORMOCER® synthesis approach. In particular, the polymeric structures of hemicelluloses and polyesters will be exploited. By the use of these biopolymer, the organoalkoxysilanes which are components of the state-of-the art ORMOCER® lacquers will be substituted to obtain a purely biobased functional coating material. The new functional bioORMOCER®s will be coated on flexible and rigid biopolymer substrates and tested for packaging applications for food, cosmetic and medical devices.