AMS Institute - CircuPHApp - Application focused design of circular PHA materials and production processes

Creating a valuable bioplastic from organic side streams

Liquid side streams from the food industry, agriculture or waste water treatment can contain large amounts of organic material. Currently this organic material is mainly converted to biogas, compost and/or incinerated.

Liquid organic side streams can however also be used by bacteria to produce the bioplastic PHA. PHA is biodegradable and can be used for a wide variety of applications.

Developing multiple PHA-based applications

The goal of CircuPHApp is to develop four new value circles for PHA-applications: as coating for paper, for use in agriculture, as a nature restoration structure and for façade panels.

Next to the development of these applications, suitable end-of-life routes will be determined.

Both the nature restoration structure and the façade panel will be developed using PH-X, a specific PHA-compound developed in the PRO-PHBV project. Both of these prototypes will be tested in Amsterdam.

Furthermore, the FMP-methodology, developed at AMS, will be used to assess the circularity of the four applications in CircuPHApp.

“By creating PH-X based façade panels and nature restoration structures, we will develop waste-based, biobased and biodiversity-stimulating solutions for the city.”

Sepideh Ghodrat

A more circular and biobased city

By developing and testing façade panels and nature restoration structures, CircuPHApp will create valuable urban applications from organic waste streams, thereby contributing to a more circular and biobased city.

“CircuPHApp combines practical results from previous AMS-project PRO-PHBV and theoretical insights from the FMP-methodology, developed at AMS Institute.”