3. contents
> introduction: where eu business
embraces the environment p. 4
recycling
> i n t r o d u c t i o n : w a s t e n o t, w a n t n o t p. 6
> sorting and saving electrical equipment p. 7
> using waste for new ceramics p. 8
> a new life for tyre rubber p. 9
> a second life for old shoes p. 10
> c o m p o st i n g pac kag i n g p. 11
> new furniture from old plastic p. 12
> feeding waste back into carpet production p. 13
> eco-rubber for new markets p. 14
> adding value to cnt waste p. 15
> bringing dark plastic to light p. 16
> n ew ways to sort alumi n ium p. 17
> a new life for plastic windscreens p. 18
> reducing nappy waste p. 19
p a g e 1
4. building and construction
> i n t r o d u c t i o n : n e w f o u n dat i o n s
for a greener europe p. 20
> building with biosludge p. 21
> a lower carbon footprint for concrete p. 22
> wa l l pa n e ls f r o m wa st e p. 23
> a greener glue for wood flooring p. 24
> glass walls reduce waste p. 25
> d e c o r at i n g w i t h wa st e p. 26
food and drink
> introduction: from farm to fork:
a h u n g e r f o r i n n o vat i o n p. 27
> greening our menus p. 28
> a gre e n e r way to clean p. 29
> reducing food waste p. 30
> energy from animal carcasses p. 31
> m a k i n g e s s e n t i a l fat t y a c i d s f r o m a lga e p. 32
> the edible label p. 33
> a g r e e n e r c atc h p. 34
> g e t t i n g t h e m o st o u t o f m e at wa st e p. 35
> cleaning up food hygiene p. 36
p a g e 2
5. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s
“A helping hand to innovative and environmentally
friendly products, services and processes.”
> l e t t i n g o f f st e a m , s av i n g wat e r p. 37
> cleaning up olive oil p. 38
> popping a new kind of cork p. 39
> a better use of blood p. 40
green business
> introduction: green business is smart business p. 41
> new dyes for greener textiles p. 42
> a g r e e n ma r k e t p l ac e f o r u s e d pa l l e t s p. 43
> improving the eco-credentials of tourism p. 44
> e n v i r o n m e n ta l ly- f r i e n d ly p r i n t i n g p. 45
> a cleaner tread p. 46
> making milk green p. 47
> cleaning up our footprint p. 48
> a cleaner polish for ceramics p. 49
> from tvs to tiles p. 50
> a gre e n e r way to han dle fre ight p. 51
> shaking the dust off ceramic tiles p. 52
> redesigning the motorcycle p. 53
> sweet music from sugarbeet p. 54
> e c o - f r i e n d ly c a r s e at s p. 55
p a g e 3
6. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s
“The best Eco-innovation projects are those that
can be replicated and multiplied across the EU.”
introduction
where eu business embraces
the environment
In our consumer-driven world, the potentially harmful impact of products and
services on the environment has too often been ignored. But that is changing,
thanks to a new generation of consumers and businesses determined to marry
society’s everyday needs with a cleaner and greener environment.
One solution is to introduce innovative products, services and processes that
protect the environment – a process known as eco-innovation. The goal is to reduce
environmental impacts and make better use of resources.
Spearheading the EU’s effort to bridge the gap between research and the market is
the Eco-innovation initiative. This is designed to help the EU meet its environmental
objectives and boost economic growth, and is managed by the Executive Agency
for Competitiveness and Innovation (EACI) in close cooperation with the European
Commission’s Environment Directorate-General.
The initiative is part of the EU’s Competitiveness and Innovation Framework
Programme (CIP). It also contributes to implementation of the Environmental
Technologies Action Plan (ETAP), aimed at boosting environmental technologies
while strengthening economic growth and competitiveness.
from prototypes to production
The Eco-innovation initiative is not about research: all ideas must be developed, practical
and offer long-term viability to qualify for funding. Nor are projects simply about
protecting the environment. What the initiative does is lend a helping hand to innovative
and environmentally friendly products, services and processes – moving them along the
road to fully fledged commercial prospects, ready for uptake by business and industry.
Exploitation and market replication are key concepts. The EU wants to maximise
this initiative’s impact and to get the best possible return on investment for each
euro invested in it. The best Eco-innovation projects are those that can be replicated
and multiplied across the EU.
p a g e 4
7. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s
As a cross-cutting initiative, Eco-innovation provides eco-innovation:
funding for projects in various sectors that mitigate
environmental impacts or promote a more efficient
small businesses
use of resources. The latest priority areas include gearing up for growth
materials recycling, buildings, the food and drink sector,
and greener business. Environmental products and services have the world at
their feet. By one estimate (OECD), they represent around
2.5% of the EU’s GDP. Small and innovative businesses
projects selected across the Community, bursting with great green ideas
for funding in 2008 to share with others, are expected to benefit most from
this significant and expanding market.
and 2009 by area
European eco-industries support some 3.4 million jobs,
OTH ER
underlining their readiness to step up to tomorrow’s
1% environmental challenges. For all these industries,
the Eco-innovation initiative is a prime opportunity
BUILDINGS
10%
R ECYC LI NG
to reach an EU-wide market with their latest
43% environmentally friendly ideas and solutions.
FOOD AND DRINK GREEN BUSINESS
21%
eu eco-innovation
25%
goals
> Market uptake and leverage
Projects selected must be environmentally beneficial, > SME focus
innovative and economically viable in the medium to > Substantial environmental benefits
long-term. Eco-innovation funding is only there to help > European added value
ideas get off the ground: every project must be able
to continue without EU funding. Some €200 million are available for Eco-innovation
projects from 2008-13, attracting participants from
A multitude of different projects have been supported companies and other organisations. Priority is given to
to date. Successful examples include recyclable-paper SMEs. Currently they make up 70% of project participants.
milk bottles, eco-friendly materials for shoes, sound For all Eco-innovation participants, the goal is clear:
environmental advice for small businesses, and organic boosting Europe’s economic growth whilst protecting
bio sludge that can be converted into solid construction the environment.
materials.
p a g e 5
8. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s > r e c yc l i n g
>
recycling
waste not, want not
Recycling barely existed in Europe three decades ago. But today this expanding and
innovative sector has a turnover of €24 billion and accounts for half of the world’s
waste and recycling industries. Its 60 000-plus companies – three-quarters of which
are small businesses – have also created jobs for half a million people.
Waste management in the EU has improved dramatically, thanks to stricter
legislation and enforcement, greater commercialisation of waste streams, and the
emergence of new technology to deal with waste and improve its recovery and
recycling. But there is no shortage of work for Europe’s recycling sector, which faces
an uphill struggle to keep pace with the mountains of new waste being generated
across the continent.
Almost three billion tonnes of waste were generated in the EU-27 in 2006, mainly
from mining and quarrying, manufacturing, the construction sector, municipal solid
waste, and hazardous waste. That is the equivalent of a staggering six tonnes for
every single person in the Community, or 524 kg per capita for municipal waste.
While average figures like these vary widely at the Member State level, waste
generation across the EU is still increasing and is expected to go on doing so over
the next decade.
The movement away from landfilling, wherever possible, began when the EU adopted
its Waste Framework Directive in 1975. But although recycling and incineration have
increased across the EU, some 40% of its municipal waste is still sent to landfills,
while only 23% is recycled, 20% incinerated and 17% composted.
Thanks to the revised Waste Framework Directive, the EU now has a general waste
recycling target, several specific waste targets, and the five-step waste hierarchy
(prevention, reuse, recycling, energy recovery and disposal) is part of EU law.
However, turning Europe into a ‘recycling society’ will take more effort. That is the
goal of Eco-innovation recycling sector projects, such as a Sweden-based initiative
to turn old car tyres into reusable ‘eco-rubber’, and a trial in Spain aimed at
converting animal carcasses into biogas and fertiliser.
p a g e 6
9. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s > r e c yc l i n g
1
>
sorting and saving
electrical equipment
e-aims – automatic and individualised sorting
and management processes of e-wastes
summary results
Electrical and electronic equipment is made up of many In addition to devising automation systems to sort
different materials including glass, metals and plastics, waste, the project will be supported by software
along with dangerous substances such as acids and applications and radio Frequency Identification systems
heavy metals. (RFID).
Europe generates about 12 million tonnes of waste The project aims to increase the rates of material
electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE) every year. recycling by 35-40% and decrease the amount of waste
Unfortunately it is very difficult to separate waste sent to landfill by 25-30%.
materials, which means much end-of-life equipment
is either dumped or incinerated.
The E-AIMS project intends to provide WEEE managers
with an innovative sorting and recovery process. It will
run a demonstration at a pilot plant to deal with waste
from all categories of WEEE.
> > d u r at i o n
3 6 m o nt h s
> > c o o r d i n at o r
ms ama i a u r i a rt e
i n koa – i n koa syst e ms s. l . , s pa i n
a .u r i a rt e @ i n koa .com
> > pa r t n e r s
i n dumetal – i n dumetal r e c yc l i n g , s pa i n
frau n hofe r – frau n ho f e r s o c i e t y f o r t h e p r om ot i o n
of appli e d research, ge r ma ny p a g e 7
e lectro-coord – e lectr o - co o r d h u n ga ry n o n p r o f it
co. ltd., hu ngary
10. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s > r e c yc l i n g
2
>
using waste
for new ceramics
frit-rec – integrated technology
for the reuse of waste lime from
the production of ceramic compounds
summary results
The reuse of waste lime (MFL) from the production Development of the technology will benefit the frit
of ceramic compounds (frit) and glazes has been and enamel industry along with the producers
hampered as the lime produced does not have a of ceramics, glass, small domestic appliances and
homogeneous composition. Traditional technologies electronics.
have focussed on end-of-pipe cleaning of gases and
By the end of the project the amount of hazardous
fulfilling environmental legislation.
waste produced will be cut by 90% and CO2 by 43%.
The project aims at developing a new technology and The cost of the final product will be reduced by
improved production process which will enhance the approximately 4%.
stability and quality of MFL. This will make it possible
to use the lime as a substitute for raw material in frit
and enamel production.
> > d u r at i o n
3 6 m o nt h s
> > c o o r d i n at o r
ms n a da b ož i če k
e m o f r it e lt d. , s love n i a
n a da . b oz i c e k @ e m o - f r it e . s i
p a g e 8
11. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s > r e c yc l i n g
3
>
a new life
for tyre rubber
big tyre recycling – tyres regenerating
into reclaim rubber and steel wire/fibres
summary results
Currently there is no way to recycle big tyres (with a The project will build and run the first full-scale
diameter greater than 1.4 metres) and at the end of continuous process plant for big tyres ever built.
their lives they are either burned or dumped.
The goal is to recycle 2 000 tonnes of end-of-life tyres in
This project aims to develop a recycling process that the first year of operation, before increasing production
harnesses ultra-high pressure water jetting to reclaim in the following two years by up to 6 000 tonnes/year.
the tyre rubber and steel fibres.
Year one should yield about 1 500 tonnes of reclaimed
The recycling process covers three main activities: rubber powders and granulates, which can be used in
cleaning, measuring and scanning the tyres; cutting new compounds and high-value applications.
and jetting; drying and sieving the resultant powder.
> > d u r at i o n
3 6 m o nt h s
> > c o o r d i n at o r
m r lu c d e s om e r e
bt rc – b i g t y r e r e c yc l i n g co r p o r at i o n b.v. b. , be lgium
d e . s om e r e . lu c @ bt rc . b e
> > pa r t n e r s
ats – ats contracti ng nv, b e lg i um
van aarse n – van aarse n i nt e r n at i o n a l bv, t h e n e t h e r l a n d s
p a g e 9
12. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s > r e c yc l i n g
4
>
a second life
for old shoes
naturalista – post-used shoes recovery
in footwear industry and other applications
summary results
Europe consumes 2 600 million pairs of footwear The aim is to make ecological products from old
products annually, which results in 1.5 million tonnes/ footwear where rubber soling and other polymers have
year of footwear ending up in urban dumping sites. been used alongside materials like textiles and leather.
Additionally, the sector industries contribute 90 000
The new recycling process will help to decrease the
additional tonnes of waste derived from by-products
environmental impact of footwear after purchase and
and rejects.
during manufacture.
Naturalista aims to recycle old shoes and footwear
Naturalista will aim to obtain an Eco-label that indicates
industry waste by using a mechanical grinding process
that a product uses recycled materials from shoes.
that is similar to the one used to recycle tyres.
The grinding process will produce a new compound
that can be incorporated as a raw material into various
polymeric products, such as sports-pitch surfaces
and road safety products. The footwear industry will
also be able to use the compound to make new soles
and insoles.
> > d u r at i o n
2 4 m o nt h s
> > c o o r d i n at o r
m r j o s é lu i s ma r í n
i nvu lsa – i ny e c ta d o s y vu lc a n i za d o s s. a . , s pa i n
j lu i s @ t h e - a rt- com pa ny.com
> > pa r t n e r s
g um p l ast – g um p l ast p o d h a l e l . l .c , p o l a n d
j g – j oaq u i n ga l l a r d o e h i j o s s. l , s pa i n
p a g e 1 0 t ps p – to d o pa r a s u s p i e s s. l . , s pa i n
procalçado – produtora de componentes para calçado, s.a, portugal
r e g ut e c – r e g ut e c , t h e c z e c h r e p u b l i c
13. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s > r e c yc l i n g
5
>
composting packaging
ecopack – improvement on green labels
for packaging
summary results
The new EcoPack® certification provides new dimensions EcoPack® certification will reduce the amount of
to current biodegradability standards related to the biodegradable municipal waste landfilled by promoting
direct impact on biodiversity and human health. food packaging residues and other food contact
materials soiled by food as valuable feedstock for
Six and half million tonnes of biodegradable packaging
composting. This will contribute to a reduction of the
a year are currently being landfilled or incinerated in
greenhouse gases (CO2 and CH4), saving annually up
Europe. Despite the application of EU standard EN
to between 570 and 454 000 tonnes respectively.
13432 for biodegradability, commercial composters are
still reluctant to consider food-soiled biodegradable A recognised industry standard that is a guarantee
packaging as feedstock for composting. of safety will become a significant marketing tool for
food brands and manufacturers of packaging and
The second market for the new EcoPack® certification
agricultural plastics.
is polymers that are used as fertiliser or mulch films,
corresponding to about 112 000 tonnes of soiled
agricultures plastics that remain in the soil because
they are not collected.
> > d u r at i o n
3 6 m o nt h s
> > c o o r d i n at o r
m r da n i e l r i b e r a
b i otox – b i o - tox sa r l , f r a n c e
d r i b e r a @ b i o - tox . f r
> > pa r t n e r s
ce labor – ce labor scrl , b e lg i um
i pl – pasteu r i nstitute o f l i l l e , f r a n c e
itene – packaging, transport and logistics research center, spain p a g e 1 1
pe na – pe na e nvi ronme nt, f r a n c e
opc – organ ic products c lu st e r , g r e e c e
14. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s > r e c yc l i n g
6
>
new furniture
from old plastic
prowaste – efficient utilization of plastic waste
through product design and process innovation
summary results
Currently only a small percentage of plastic waste is The project will design and validate a range of
mechanically recycled to make beams – also called furniture with a view to large-scale production and
plastic lumbers – for the urban/outdoor furniture commercialisation.
market.
Wider benefits will include a reduction in unsorted
Plastic beams could be used more widely to make plastic waste going to landfill, incineration or energy
all sorts of products such as seats, benches, gazebos, recovery.
planters and fencing. Unfortunately, the mix of polymers
present in plastic scrap, along with contamination from
other materials, results in a plastic beam that is weak
or over-dimensioned, leading to heavy and unattractive
products.
Prowaste aims to solve this problem by using pultruded
rods made from composite materials and glass fibre
to reinforce beams developed from recycled plastic.
The result will be a lighter, stronger product capable of
making more environmentally-friendly, aesthetically
pleasing outdoor furniture.
> > d u r at i o n
3 6 m o nt h s
> > c o o r d i n at o r
ms. a l e s sa n d r a pas sa r o
c e tma – e n g i n e e r i n g , d e s i g n a n d mat e r i a ls t e c h n o logi es
c e nt r e , ita ly
a l e s sa n d r a . pas sa r o @ c e tma . it
> > pa r t n e r s
u n i sa l e nto – u n ive r s it y o f sa l e nto, ita ly
masm e c – masm e c s. p. a . , ita ly
p a g e 1 2 o g l e – o g l e lt d. , ita ly
inserplasa – industria sevillana recicla je de plasticos s.l, spain
s o lt e co – s o lt e co ma d e r a p l ast i c as. l , s pa i n
c i c lo p l ast – c i c lo p l ast s. a , s pa i n
15. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s > r e c yc l i n g
7
>
feeding waste back
into carpet production
euroc2c carpetchains – towards closed
loop chains in europe
summary results
The manufacturing of carpets and floor tiles is, The initiative seeks to engage more partners in the
traditionally, linear – raw materials are transformed and replication and up-scaling of the project and intends
used to make carpets which are finally sent to landfill, to be processing 4% of the EU’s contract market in year
municipal waste or cement kilns. three, i.e. 16 000 tonnes.
Partners involved in this initiative are making cradle- By doing this they will reduce the use of virgin
to-cradle manufacturing a key part of the carpet value materials by 8 000 tonnes, avoid the production of
chain, putting in place an appropriate take-back system 8 400 tonnes of CO2 and enable the reduction of energy
in six EU countries through sorting and separating by the equivalent of the average consumption of
carpet waste into light and heavy fraction. 1 600 households a year.
The light fraction is clean enough for the depolymeri-
sation of nylon 6 into material which can then be made
into yarns for new carpets. The heavy fraction will be
recycled for the construction of road surfaces.
> > d u r at i o n
3 6 m o nt h s
> > c o o r d i n at o r
m r r u d i da e l ma n s
d e s s o g r o u p bv, t h e n e t h e r l a n d s
r da e l ma n s @ d e s s o.com
> > pa r t n e r s
desso france sas, fran c e
desso ge rmany gmbh, g e r ma ny
desso u k ltd, u n ite d ki n g d om p a g e 1 3
16. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s > r e c yc l i n g
8
>
eco-rubber
for new markets
ace – advanced pre-commercialization
of eco rubber
summary results
Mountains of old tyres are still being generated in The project embraces raw materials suppliers, innovators,
the EU – this initiative sets out to reuse, annually, market intermediaries and user-groups in an attempt
190 tonnes of rubber and plastic from recycled tyres to boost product uptake.
through the use of a new technology partners have
Success will mean the identification of 20 possible
patented.
customers in three geographical markets in two
The technique generates copolymers for the use in sectors worth at least €5 million and the decreased
thermoplastic rubber, resulting in the initiatives’ new consumption of new rubber, by 190 tonnes, and of oil,
‘eco-rubber’. This is rubber in powder form which is by 1 700 tonnes a year.
mixed with reclaimed plastic to create a chemical
reaction that binds and strengthens the components.
The project focuses on two markets, construction and
automotive, and has the overall objective of dismantling
some key barriers in the pre-commercialisation phase.
> > d u r at i o n
3 6 m o nt h s
> > c o o r d i n at o r
m r å k e pau ls s o n
e co r u b a b, sw e d e n
a k e @ e co r u b. s e
> > pa r t n e r s
k it, ka r ls r u h e r i n st itut fü r t e c h n o lo g i e , g e r ma ny
ac s, b u s i n e s s i nt e r e st as s o c i at i o n ac s, s love n i a
p a g e 1 4 h e rco, t y r e s h e rco sa , g r e e c e
17. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s > r e c yc l i n g
9
>
adding value
to cnt waste
recytube – increasing the use of recycled carbon
nanotube (cnt) compounds for applications
summary results
The production of carbon nano tube (CNT) masterbatch CNT based masterbatch production will benefit from
and the compounding of CNT and injection moulding an improved environmental and economical profile.
production processes all result in CNT waste. This is Plastic compounds will be cheaper and injection
mixed in with thermoplastic materials at differing moulding companies will be able to use costly material
proportions. that is now sent to landfill.
As things are now, a lack of cost effective recycling
techniques and industrial level processing means these
scraps are considered useless, although the actual cost
of CNT is close to €150 per kilo.
The initiative aims to develop a fast, in situ charac-
terisation of the scraps, during the production process,
which will measure physical, thermal, mechanical and
electrical properties. The goal is to obtain new polymer
nanocomposites with good electrical properties.
Since the machine needed to introduce the scrap
into the production chain is the same as that used
in recycling plastics, no extra investment is needed.
> > d u r at i o n
3 0 m o nt h s
> > c o o r d i n at o r
ms ma r i a j o s e m o r e to ba d i a
a i m p l as – as o c i ac i o n d e i nve st i gac i o n
d e mat e r i a l e s p l ast i co s y co n e x as, s pa i n
p r oy e c to s @ a i m p l as. e s
> > pa r t n e r s
fape ri n, fape ri n s.l, spa i n
nanoc yl, nanoc yl s.a, b e lg i um
colorex, colorex mast e r bac h b.v, n e t h e r l a n d s p a g e 1 5
18. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s > r e c yc l i n g
10
>
bringing dark
plastic to light
bp sorting – black polymer sorting
summary results
Most black plastics end up being incinerated or Partners hope to set up forty installations a year, greatly
bailed into landfill. This initiative aims to optimise relieving the pressure on landfill and cutting back the
hyperspectral imaging sensors, HELIOS SWIR (short amount of material incinerated.
wave infrared), to raise the annual recovery of dark
Reusing this plastic will also save oil and energy, resulting
and almost dark plastics by one million tonnes,
in the saving of 0.5 million tonnes of CO2 a year with
worldwide, within the first two years of the project’s
an ultimate target of a reduction of 5 million tonnes
implementation.
a year, worldwide.
Black polymers are used in the automotive, electrical
and electronics industries along with the packaging
and construction industries. However, recycling is ham-
pered by the current inability to identify homogenous
fractions of plastic.
The proposed solution will be able to identify, classify
and sort black plastics through the integration of short
wave infrared in sorting machines.
> > d u r at i o n
2 4 m o nt h s
> > c o o r d i n at o r
m r ma n f r e d pa i l
evk , evk d i k e r s c h h ag g l g m b h , au st r i a
ma n f r e d. pa i l @ evk . b i z
> > pa r t n e r s
rt t, rt t syst e mt e c h n i k g m b h , g e r ma ny
py r a l , py r a l ag , g e r ma ny
p a g e 1 6
19. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s > r e c yc l i n g
11
>
new ways to sort
aluminium
parilas – quality aluminium recycling
summary results
This initiative will harness inline laser identification to One installation of the PARILAS system could replace
demonstrate the next generation of high performance 10 000 tn/year of new aluminium. The expected purity
aluminium recycling. Light metal shredder scrap is a of the sorted material fractions will be > 95% with a
mixture of wrought and cast aluminium alloys and throughput of > 3t/h.
recycling is only achievable if this can be separated out.
The estimated economic impact (on the basis scrap
Being able to do this will open a new market in material
prices in August 2009) is an average gain of about
specific recycling.
125 €/tonne for an alloy grade sorted fraction
A pilot sorting line is planned consisting of a belt compared to a mixed aluminium fraction.
conveyor to transport the shredded scrap and a laser
identification unit which will measure chemical
composition at a rate of 40 pieces a second.
A pneumatic valve will blow pieces into one of four,
different boxes according to their respective chemical
composition.
> > d u r at i o n
2 4 m o nt h s
> > c o o r d i n at o r
mr reinhard noll
l e h r stu h l fü r l as e rt e c h n i k , rw t h a ac h e n
( u n ive r s it y o f a ac h e n )
r e i n h a r d. n o l l @ i lt. f r au n h o f e r . d e
> > pa r t n e r s
titech, titech gmbh, ge r ma ny
lsa, lsa – laser analytical systems & automation gmbh, germany
alcan crv, alcan crv, fr a n c e p a g e 1 7
20. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s > r e c yc l i n g
12
>
a new life for plastic
windscreens
ws-rec – design and construction
of a windscreen recycling line
summary results
Glass and polyvinyl butyral (PVB) are used to make Pure recycled PVB commands a high price (€7-8 per kg),
laminated safety glass for vehicle windscreens. which makes the recycling process a profitable
Current processes can only recover the glass from end- proposition. What is more, the development of a high-
of-life windscreens, which means the PVB is disposed quality, commercially valuable product will lead to less
of as waste, either in landfill or through incineration. PVB being dumped as waste.
WS-REC aims to improve matters by constructing a The WS-REC line will also contribute to EU targets for
pre-competitive scale windscreen recycling plant the recovery and recycling of old and unwanted vehicles
that can recover both glass and PVB. and parts.
The project will also develop a purification system that
can remove glass and other substances that adhere
to the PVB.
In addition, glass recovery will be made more efficient.
> > d u r at i o n
3 6 m o nt h s
> > c o o r d i n at o r
m r c l au d i o – f e r n a n d e z
t e c h n o lo g i c a l c e nt r e lu r e d e r r a , s pa i n
c l au d i o. f e r n a n d e z @ lu r e d e r r a . e s
> > pa r t n e r s
b i l d u l a n – b i l d u l a n s co o p, s pa i n
lu n a r a p i d – lu n a r a p i d s l , s pa i n
p a g e 1 8 za b e r – d r . za b e r s p. z .o. a . , p o l a n d
p h b – p l ast i c h e rve rw e r k i n g b r a k e l , n e t h e r l a n d s
m o s b.v. – mac h i n e fa b r i k ot to s c h o ut e n , n e t h e r l a n ds
21. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s > r e c yc l i n g
13
>
reducing
nappy waste
the diapers project – a zero emission
green plant
summary results
In Europe, an estimated 36.25 billion disposable nappies The project will demonstrate that recycling disposable
are used every year, One baby produces approximately nappies and reducing household waste can be profitable.
one tonne of used nappies. 4.5 million tonnes of used
The three-year project will treat 70 000 tonnes of
nappies end up in landfills and incinerators.
nappies, and thus cut 56 000 tonnes of CO2 – an 80%
Recycling plastics with organic contamination is reduction on incinerated nappies.
complicated because of the lack of a separate col-
lection system, the high energy consumption of the
process itself and the uncertainty about the market
possibilities of the recycled material. The Diapers
Project aims to set up an industrial sorting and
recycling process that will recycle nappies in a cost
efficient and environmentally friendly way, leading the
way for recycling of other organically contaminated
plastics, also known as “forgotten” waste.
> > c o o r d i n at o r
m r c h r i sto p h e e s q u e n e t
i w p – i nt e r n at i o n a l w o o d p r o d u c i n g com pa ny, be lgium
c . e s q u e n e t @ c r st e c h n o lo g i e s.com
> > pa r t n e r s
vgg – van gansewi n ke l n e t h e r l a n d s, t h e n e t h e r l a n d s
sug – schoe nmacke rs umw e lt d i e n st e g m b h & co kg , g e r ma ny
p a g e 1 9
22. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s > b u i l d i n g a n d c o n st r u c t i o n
>
building &
construction
new foundations for a greener europe
Building and construction are a key part of the EU’s economy. The sector makes
up some 10% of gross domestic product and more than 7% of total employment
– and these figures only take into account new construction, buildings renovation
and on-site civil engineering. Some 26 million jobs depend directly or indirectly on
the sector, while direct employment in the construction materials and building
products industry is estimated at 2.5 million jobs.
Due to its size and numerous related activities, the sector has a huge impact on the
environment. Above all, it is an avid consumer of resources – with more than half
of all materials extracted from the earth being turned into construction materials
and products. Furthermore, in many countries waste generation from construction
and demolition activities has increased in recent years.
The sector also consumes vast amounts of energy and generates significant emissions
to the air, soil and water. The heating and lighting of buildings alone account for
around 42% of energy use and some 35% of greenhouse gas emissions. And while
energy use per household has remained constant since 1985, the EU’s total energy
consumption has increased in line with the expansion of our towns and cities.
Tackling these environmental and sustainability challenges is tough, due to the
uniqueness of the building and construction sector. It is, for example, highly regulated
at the national level, making it harder to introduce innovative technologies or new
standards such as Ecocodes at Community level. Other constraints to change and
innovation include the public sector’s dominance as a client, the long service life of
buildings, and a complex and fragmented supply chain.
The Eco-innovation initiative supports several projects that aim to change the way
buildings are designed, constructed, refurbished and demolished, with an eye on
reducing the amount of raw materials and energy used. Projects under way include
an Italian system to detect water leaks in city networks, and the testing in Serbia of
the potential of organic waste or ‘biosludge’ to create composite building material.
p a g e 2 0
23. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s > b u i l d i n g a n d c o n st r u c t i o n
14
>
building
with biosludge
bacom – sustainable production
of composite construction materials
summary results
The organic biosludge produced by Europe’s 50 000 plus Anticipated results include the reduction of green
waste water treatment plants has traditionally been house gasses at EU level by 1 460 000 tonnes of CO2 a
disposed of in landfill or been incinerated. However, year within ten years of the project’s kick off.
the landfill option has been banned in the EU since
A reduction in costs of waste management and in
15 July 2009.
environmental taxes will make biosolid producers more
This initiative sets out to rethink the problem of competitive.
biosludge waste radically, considering it as potential
The use of biosolids and sludge as construction
composite building material rather than as waste. The
materials will generate both environmental and
project uses material from a wide range of sectors such
economic benefits.
as ports, public waterways, water treatment plants, lime
production and smelting plants, to name but a few.
The first step is to upgrade the existing pilot production
line in Slovenia and set up others in Slovakia, Greece
and Poland.
> > d u r at i o n
3 6 m o nt h s
> > c o o r d i n at o r
m r e r i k sa r k i c
lo g e nt lt d. , s love n i a
lo g e nt @ s i o l . n e t
p a g e 2 1
24. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s > b u i l d i n g a n d c o n st r u c t i o n
15
>
a lower carbon
footprint for concrete
sustcon-epv – franchise marketing
of a sustainability index and eco label
for concrete
summary results
Concrete is the world’s most common construction The Sustcon-EPV project aims to encourage the
material but the production of cement used to bind it uptake of sustainable concrete technology via a new
is a key source of CO2 emissions. sustainability index and the so-called environmental
performance protocol.
The use of more sustainable types of concrete is
hindered by the prescription based standards and It will encourage the cross-border use of sustainable
regulation that are currently in use. The project concrete, reduce raw material production and lead
provides the technical and marketing structure that to a decrease of CO2 emissions of 50 to 250 kg per m3
will facilitate the access to the market of sustain- of sustainable concrete.
able concrete products. Its sustainability index and
environmental technology verification protocol are
based on the performance of these products rather
than their composition.
> > d u r at i o n
2 4 m o nt h s
> > c o o r d i n at o r
m r lu i s m i g u e l o r d o ñ e z b e l lo c
a i d i co – t e c h n o lo g i c a l i n st itut e o f co n st r u c t i o n , spai n
lu i sm i g u e l .o r d o n e z @ a i d i co. e s
> > pa r t n e r s
fevec – federation of valencian construction companies, spain
bas bv – r e s e a rc h & t e c h n o lo gy, n e t h e r l a n d s
p a g e 2 2 nibe – institute for building biology and ecology, netherlands
25. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s > b u i l d i n g a n d c o n st r u c t i o n
16
>
wall panels
from waste
ecowall – novel composite concrete
insulated building materials optimised
summary results
Many family homes are built with bricks and concrete The project will establish a pilot plant in Estonia to start
block walls – a process which needs a lot of energy and production. Initially, the plant will make 100 000 m2
raw materials. of wall panels annually.
EcoWall aims to reduce those requirements and Taking account of construction and use over a 50-year
associated environmental impacts by producing period, a single family home built using the EcoWall
modular composite concrete panels that offer savings panels can expect to achieve energy savings of more
in construction costs and improved thermal insulation. than 1 840 GJ and a reduction in CO2 of 111 tonnes.
EcoWall will use industrial waste materials and recycled
concrete aggregates to make the panels. Foamed
concrete will provide insulation, which in turn will save
energy.
The objective is to produce a long-lasting and durable
product which retains the attractive appearance of
traditional materials.
> > d u r at i o n
3 6 m o nt h s
> > c o o r d i n at o r
m r d o u g l as r e i d
a r d o r a n lt d, e sto n i a
d o u g l as. r e i d @ h i i uma a . e e
> > pa r t n e r s
luca – dr luca & partn e r e n g i n e e r i n g lt d, g e r ma ny
p a g e 2 3
26. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s > b u i l d i n g a n d c o n st r u c t i o n
17
>
a greener glue
for wood flooring
ecbp – ecolabelled chemical building products.
new adhesives for wood-flooring
summary results
The European wood flooring (parquet) market produces By completion, the project intends to produce
over 100 million square metres per year. Approximately 0.7 million kilos of adhesive that have zero methanol
70% of these wood floors are installed using a bonding emissions and no harmful substances such as tin
process that requires specialised adhesives. Estimated and isocyanates. Two years after the project has
consumption of these adhesives is 70 million litres per finished, NPT aims to achieve a production capacity
year – but they contain volatile organic compounds of 1.5 million kilos of adhesive per year.
(VOCs) which are harmful to human health and the
environment.
ECBP aims to introduce onto the market new envi-
ronmentally friendly adhesives for wood-flooring
installation, certified by the Nordic Ecolabel.
The innovative prepolymers were developed and have
already been demonstrated by NPT. The project focuses
on increasing and optimising production capacity.
Efforts will be made to involve other European countries
in order to find local distributors. The main targets will
be flooring companies and stores selling wood flooring.
> > d u r at i o n
3 2 m o nt h s
> > c o o r d i n at o r
m r a l e s sa n d r o ga l b i at i
n p t s. r . l . , ita ly
a .ga l b i at i @ n p ts r l .com
p a g e 2 4
27. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s > b u i l d i n g a n d c o n st r u c t i o n
18
>
glass walls
reduce waste
sanguss – wall-filling material
summary results
The Sanguss project is using a novel technology to The project is aiming for a quick and sustainable
fill wall panels which can incorporate piping to carry penetration of the market. The initial goal is to deliver
sewage and water. a market share of 5% in the two years after the project
has ended.
The wall-filling material is made from a special foam
glass which is produced from glass which can no longer Preparation for market introduction will include 3rd
be used in the conventional glass recycling process and party certification and preparation of equipment,
which is thus useless waste material (e.g., finest glass materials, tools, pumps and the build up of a training
fractions). This waste is at present often deposited in network.
landfill. Sanguss walls will offer clear advantages in
terms of waste reduction, hygiene, noise reduction, fire
protection and structural stability. The end product
should also be cheap and easy to use.
Wall construction integrates a range of different
building professions such as bricklaying, pipe-laying,
plumbing and plastering. The project will work with
these professions in order to try and ensure a wide
market uptake.
> > d u r at i o n
3 6 m o nt h s
> > c o o r d i n at o r
mr friedhelm simon
baut e c h n i k s i m o n , g e r ma ny
baut e c h n i k . s i m o n @ t- o n l i n e . d e
> > pa r t n e r s
de n n e rt porave r gmbh – d e n n e rt p o r ave r g m b h , g e r ma ny
u n i bautech – u n i baute c h , g e r ma ny
wimtech – wimtech – e l e kt r o n i s c h e st e u e r u n g s - p a g e 2 5
u n d messge räte, austr i a
ch emi e-cluste rbaye rn – c h e m i e - c lu st e r bay e r n c /o
u n ive rsität baye rn se rvi c e g m b h , g e r ma ny
28. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s > b u i l d i n g a n d c o n st r u c t i o n
19
>
decorating
with waste
wap-wir – wall panel without resin - replacement
of polyester resins, volatile solvents and hazardous
pigments with natural stone and glass powders
summary results
Decorative wall panels are traditionally made using The new manufacturing process will bring about the
polyester resins, volatile solvents and hazardous following main benefits:
pigments, which cause air and water pollution. The
> Methane savings of approx. 100.000 m3/year;
WAP-WIR project aims to substitute these materials
with natural stone and glass powders, obtained > Discontinuation of the use of toxic or harmful
from waste. volatile solvents, polymeric resins and pigments
(saving approximately 1 450 tonnes/year);
The project will develop a production line that can
manufacture these panels and therefore create an > 60% reduction in the quantity of water used
innovative environmentally-friendly, low-energy process. (saving approximately 1 million litres/year);
WAP-WIR will use fine and coarse powders – such as cuts > 25% reduction in energy consumption during
of natural stone, milled glass and iron oxide spheres – production (corresponding to 300.000 kWh/year);
which have been recovered from other manufacturing > A product that can be recycled both in its semi-
activities. finished and finished state and even after installation.
> > d u r at i o n
3 6 m o nt h s
> > c o o r d i n at o r
mr giuseppe ferrari
ga r d e n i a – c e r am i c h e ga r d e n i a o rc h i d e a s. p. a , ita ly
g i u s e p p e . f e r r a r i @ ga r d e n i a . it
p a g e 2 6
29. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s > f o o d a n d d r i n k
>
food
and drink
from farm to fork: a hunger for innovation
The food and drink industry is one of Europe’s crown jewels, with a turnover of more
than €965 billion. It processes some 70% of the EU’s agricultural raw materials and
employs over four million people – almost all in small or medium-sized businesses.
Much of the sector’s success stems from harnessing Europe’s rich cultural and culinary
diversity and traditions. Among them are speciality meat, dairy and confectionery
products, as well as numerous different wines and spirits enjoyed all over the world.
However, the sector’s share of the global food and drink market is in decline,
as a result of increased competition from emerging economies such as China, India
and Brazil. Experts say that Europe can no longer compete on price in this field, so
will in future have to add value by offering healthier and more innovative produce.
One of the sector’s main weaknesses is extreme fragmentation. More than 99%
of the companies are SMEs, which means they struggle to compete with larger
players, such as retail companies, in terms of market and bargaining power.
In addition, compared to other industries, innovation expenditure is very low (0.37%)
as a proportion of turnover.
The sector has enjoyed good economic growth. But food and drink have been
assessed as still having the greatest environmental impact in their lifecycle,
ahead even of private transport and housing.
New and greener technologies and processes can make this European sector
more competitive and dynamic. Some are being trialled today under the
Eco-innovation initiative. They include new wastewater treatment solutions,
bio-waste transformation into new valuable products and new food packaging
solutions.
p a g e 2 7
30. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s > f o o d a n d d r i n k
20
>
greening
our menus
ecofood-sme – cluster methodologies
to green business, products and services
of agro-food smes
summary results
SMEs make up about 99% of businesses in the agro- Forty companies will undergo an initial assessment.
food sector, but they often lack the resources to boost Then the project team will develop methodologies that
their own eco-credentials. take account of each company’s features along with
the general characteristics of the sector.
This project aims to change this situation by clustering
the sector’s SMEs to ‘green’ their businesses, products Changes will be implemented for half of the companies
and services. A geographical cluster in Spain and a that have been assessed. This should help the SMEs
breweries cluster in Germany will improve the ecological concerned achieve EMAS III certification or to obtain EN
status of their products. 16001 energy management certification.
Indirect impacts are expected on raw material
consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, odours,
the need for hazardous chemicals, amount of waste
produced and on the consumption of water.
> > d u r at i o n
2 4 m o nt h s
> > c o o r d i n at o r
m r m i g u e l a n g e l e s c a lo n a a n d r e u
c e z – e nt r e p r e n e u r ’s co n f e d e r at i o n o f sa r ag o s sa , spai n
m e s c a lo n a @ c e z . e s
> > pa r t n e r s
i nt e c h n i a – i nt e c h n i a co n s u lt i n g , g e r ma ny
a i d i a – ag r o - f o o d r & d & i as s o c i at i o n , s pa i n
p a g e 2 8
31. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s > f o o d a n d d r i n k
21
>
a greener way
to sterilise
sterilis – reduction of water and energy
consumption in the food industry:
innovative sterilisation equipment
summary results
The company behind this project has developed and Sterilis will provide innovation in the field by offering
built a prototype retort, which is sterilisation equipment a process of continuous sterilisation. What is more,
that can be used by the food and drinks industry. the project team expects its machine will save water,
electricity, chemicals – and produce less waste.
The goal of Sterilis project is to harness this technology
For example, water consumption could be reduced
by using a machine under ‘real-life’ conditions and at
by up to 30%.
industrial scale at a customer’s factory.
With this first implementation and a strong exploitation
strategy, the company will build new machines to be
sold commercially.
> > d u r at i o n
3 6 m o nt h s
> > c o o r d i n at o r
m r t h i e r ry l e c h n e r
st e r it e c h – st e r it e c h sa , f r a n c e
t h i e r ry. l e c h n e r @ st e r it e c h . e u.com
p a g e 2 9
32. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s > f o o d a n d d r i n k
22
>
reducing
food waste
enbed – environmental benefits through
the decrease of food products loss and waste
summary results
Perishable foods need keeping at the correct tempera- ENBED intends to provide at least two companies that
ture and in the right environmental conditions. produce dairy products with a system that is ready to
use commercially.
However, up to 33% of perishable goods are lost during
storage and transportation, and the food industry is Once the system is commercialised on a European scale
stuck with high energy costs to keep its products fresh. it should offer billions of euros in gas, fuel and water
savings each year.
The ENBED project aims to optimise the entire produc-
tion and distribution chain by ensuring that products
are kept in the right conditions. Its solution will be based
on wireless sensors and GPRS cellular communication.
The objective is to develop a system that offers real-
time monitoring of conditions and the ability to make
corrective actions that can avoid energy wastage
and loss of product quality.
> > d u r at i o n
2 4 m o nt h s
> > c o o r d i n at o r
m r m e i r avn i
c a rta - s e n s e lt d, i s r a e l
m e i r @ c a rtas e n s e .com
> > pa r t n e r s
c a i s i a l – ac a d e m i c c e nt r e f o r i n n ovat i o n a n d d eve lopme nt
i n t h e f o o d i n d u st ry, ita ly
p a g e 3 0 co da p – co. da . p, co l a da i ry p r o d u c ts s. p. a . , ita ly
e n co – e n co e n g i n e e r i n g a n d co n s u lt i n g s r l , ita ly
i n i c i at ivas – i n i c i at ivas i n n ova d o r as s. a . l . , s pa i n
33. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s > f o o d a n d d r i n k
23
>
energy from
animal carcasses
apre – management of organic watse
using anaerobic co-digestion for its recycling
as organic fertiliser
summary results
The agro-food industry disposes of animal by-products The APRE process can treat 11 tonnes of dead animals
mainly through rendering and incineration or landfill every day, which will produce 4 000 m3 of bio-gas
actions which have high environmental impacts. (60% of which is methane) and 44 tonnes of liquid
fertiliser. The heat generated will be turned into electric
APRE aims to develop a more sustainable approach
power which can be used in production or sold on.
to the management of animal by-products and dead
animals through the anaerobic digestion of carcasses The fertiliser will be used on land for corn crops.
to produce a high-quality fertiliser and bio-gas. The corn grains will be sold as fodder, while the leaves
and stalks are co-digested to optimise the APRE process.
The project therefore offers an innovative way to
use waste to produce useful products that have high
economic and environmental benefits.
> > d u r at i o n
3 6 m o nt h s
> > c o o r d i n at o r
ms yo l a n da c a rc e d o
vi s e – vi s e co r sa s. l .u, s pa i n
vi s e co r sa @ r a n e b e . e .t e l e f o n i c a . n e t
> > pa r t n e r s
bfc – biogas fu e l ce ll s. a , s pa i n
big – bigadan a /s, de nma r k
pu ral – pu ri n es almazá n s. l . , s pa i n p a g e 3 1
34. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s > f o o d a n d d r i n k
24
>
making essential
fat t y ac i d s f r o m a lga e
phobior – an innovative photo-bioreactor
for the production of micro algae with high amounts
of omega- 3 fatty acids
summary results
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential to the human me- The first industrial-sized photo-bioreactor for the
tabolism. But most nutritional supplements containing production of high-quality omega-3 fatty acids from
them are made of fish oil, despite the hazards raised algae will be built at the Energiepark Bruck in Austria.
by overfishing and mercury contamination. The bioreactor’s ingenious design will have several
positive impacts: instead of using extra energy, CO2
Phobior aims to use algae biomass to produce omega-3
will move the algae through the system, at the same
fatty acids by commercialising an innovative photo-
time nourishing it and generating oxygen. Phosphate
bioreactor.
will be reused as well as all water. The system’s design
also optimises space and sunlight to stimulate algae
growth. It will also require less pest control additives.
Costs will be low while producing top-range, uncon-
taminated products.
> > d u r at i o n
3 6 m o nt h s
> > c o o r d i n at o r
m r ma rt i n m o h r
e co d u n a – e co d u n a com pa ny, au st r i a
m o h r @ e co d u n a .com
> > pa r t n e r
e n e rg i e pa r k b r u c k , au st r i a
p a g e 3 2
35. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s > f o o d a n d d r i n k
25
>
the edible label
laser mark – creating market demand
for fruits labelled ecologically with innovative
laser technologies
summary results
Under EU regulations, fruit and vegetables have to Partners are committed to decreasing the use of natural
be labelled to let consumers know product specifics. resources and their process will have the following
Currently this is done through the use of adhesive, positive impacts:
laminated stickers requiring the use of natural resources
> Up to 35% reduction in energy consumption due to
(wood, energy and water) along with chemicals
the elimination of paper and polythene stickers.
(glue and ink production).
> Innovative process completely eliminates the pro-
This initiative sets forward the use of laser marking to
duction, use and residues of glue and ink used in
replace stickers. This consists of marking the produce
traditional process as the information is marked
with edible contrast substance which appears when
directly on the fruit or vegetable.
activated by a laser, revealing such information as
identifying numbers, country of origin and other useful
information.
Six installations will pilot the technology in Valencia
and the UK, aiming to overcome the barriers to market
uptake by proving reliability and cost effectiveness.
> > d u r at i o n
3 6 m o nt h s
> > c o o r d i n at o r
m r ja i m e sa n f e l ix pa l au
l as e r f o o d, l as e r f o o d 2 0 0 7, s. l . , s pa i n
j sa n f e l ix @ l as e r f o o d. e s
> > pa r t n e r s
maxfrut, maxfrut s.l ., s pa i n
jsv, jsv sistemas rdi f s. l . , s pa i n
fcvre, fundación comunidad valenciana – region europea, spain p a g e 3 3
bcla, black country learning academy limited, united kingdom
36. b o o st i n g g r e e n b u s i n e s s > f o o d a n d d r i n k
26
>
a greener catch
ecobionet – industrial implementation
of biodegradable and compostable packaging
nets for agricultural and shellfish products
summary results
Large supermarket chains increasingly ask their Ecobionet involves the industrialisation of four
suppliers to use biodegradable packaging material. biodegradable packaging nets and their testing for
This also affects suppliers of products packed in nets, strength, weight and cost efficiency. They will be
such as potatoes, garlic and mussels. Biodegradable commercialised after compostability tests.
nets are normally produced by a knitting process that
involves a 25% waste loss.
The ECOBIONET project industrialises the production
of different types of biodegradable nets by a more
sophisticated and reliable extrusion melt spinning
process. The nets must have good physical and
mechanical properties, be completely biodegradable
and be cost-competitive with other solutions in the
market. The packaging nets will be tested for use as
a packaging of agricultural products and shellfish.
The project will broaden the use of compostable
biopolymers to other applications that require high
melt strength and high viscosity during the
manufacturing process, such as bottles and containers.
> > d u r at i o n
3 0 m o nt h s
> > c o o r d i n at o r
ms r aq u e l g i n e r b o r r u l l
a i m p l as – t e c h n o lo g i c a l i n st itut e o f p l ast i c s, s pa i n
p r oy e c to s @ a i m p l as. e s
> > pa r t n e r s
t e c n a r o – t e c n a r o g m b h , g e r ma ny
m e s e g u e r – c r i sto ba l m e s e g u e r s. a . , s pa i n
p a g e 3 4 e co p l as – e co p l as ba r ba n za s. l . , s pa i n
o ws – o rga n i c wast e syst e ms, b e lg i um
