Smart Packaging Revolution: Renewed and Circular shelf-Life Materials for Enhanced Food Preservation

With the aim to develop novel formulations and processes to obtain bio-based materials, the first step is to study the stakeholder scenario to better assess the market needs and in parrallel to develop a new bio-based composites for several applications starting from the recovery of biomaterials from waste and their reuse after a technological treatment. The goal of the project is to identify and produce innovative renewed materials adapting existing technologies, allowing the scalability of the recycling process across the EU to improve environmental sustainability and safety. Moreover, the dissemination strategy of the project’s outputs and outcomes will increase the public knowledge, and the awareness of relevant industry actors, of the potential benefits of bio-based solutions. This prototype will be producted by means of the electrospinning technique. The latter allows the fabrication of continuous fibers in the sub-micron and nanometer scale range, giving the possibility to promptly deal with functionalized fibers including ad hoc nanofillers. The process is realized by applying high voltage to a polymeric solution flowing through a capillary in order to generate an electrically charged jet. When the electric field reaches a critical value, a polymeric jet is ejected, experiencing instability phenomena that stretches and reduces the diameter of the collected fibers. These textiles, in addition to being produced with the greenest possible approach and with biodegradable/waste-derived materials, can be reused thanks to the implementation of a sanitisation system with minimum environmental impact. Moreover they will be designed to be, at the end of their life, a sort of release system for substances that can help improve certain critical environmental conditions, such as ocean pollution or CO2 reduction.