Presentation of the progress of the LIFE COMP0LIVE project at the virtual congress Ecocity World Summit 2022

Juan Pablo Ferrer, researcher at Andaltec, has presented the progress of the Comp0live project at the Ecocity World Summit 2022. This international congress, focused on the transfer of knowledge around sustainable cities and the circular transformation of urban environments, has been held between February 22 and 24 virtually, and has brought together thousands of experts from around the world specialized in the different fields of sustainability and efficiency.

Juan Pablo Ferrer has presented the results obtained by the Center in the revaluation of olive grove by-products and their use for the manufacture of bioplastics in an online presentation framed in the “Biobased materials and products, energy & food” area of ​​the event.

LIFE Comp0live, a European project led by Andaltec, demonstrates at an industrial level the use of olive pruning as a reinforcement in biocomposites, with applications in the automotive and domestic and urban furniture sectors, among others. This project arises from the need to revalue waste from olive groves, given the volume that is generated annually throughout the Mediterranean area and the few applications that currently exist. In this way, the main objective is to develop a new generation of biocomposites based on olive pruning waste for industrial applications, promoting the substitution of non-renewable resources through the sustainable design of wood-based fiber products. With this, it is intended to revalue this waste and reduce CO2 emissions.

On the other hand, it wants to create three new business models related to waste management within the new value chain of the olive sector: fibers for the automotive industry, outdoor furniture and home furnishings. In addition, its objective is to enhance the sensitivity and awareness of the primary sector by promoting economic and ecological management of olive grove waste.