"FEDER BIOPUR" BIOPUR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF A BIODEGRADATION SYSTEM FOR POLYURETHANE WASTE IN THE FURNITURE INDUSTRY DESCRIPTION One of the main problems facing our planet is that of plastic garbage, which is difficult to degrade and occupies large volumes that are difficult to process. Much of this garbage is made up of plastics derived from polyurethane, which already ranks fifth in the world as plastic garbage. As a consequence, the amount of waste from these materials is increasing every day, creating environmental problems and an irrational waste of resources. These reasons are reason enough to recover and recycle plastic waste. The scale of the problem is causing initiatives to reduce the consumption of plastic materials and facilitate their recycling once they become waste. It is at this point where studies aimed at the search for easily biodegradable plastic materials arise. However, it does not turn out to be a problem that is easy to solve, since it is sought that the material is easily biodegradable without losing the characteristics and properties that are required in its application phase. OBJECTIVES The main objective pursued in the BIOPUR project is the development of a biodegradation system for polyurethane waste and by-products generated by the furniture industry in the Valencian Community. In the case of flexible polyurethane foams, which make up mattresses or furniture upholstery, the data confirms that waste is obtained during its manufacture, which together with the waste generated by the end user, contributes to the increasingly high annual increase in this type of waste. Project Number: 22300042 Grant Agreement: IMDEEA / 2023/19 Duration: From 01/07/2023 to 30/09/2024 Coordinated in AIDIMME by: IBIZA PALACIOS, Mª DE SALES R&D Line: CIRCULAR ECONOMY RESULTS OBTAINED Year 2024: The project focused on addressing the biodegradability of polyurethane plastic waste generated by the furniture industry, which is often difficult to recycle due to its complex chemical composition. This polymeric waste aggravates the environmental impact of plastics, so biodegradation was explored as a more sustainable and economical alternative to incineration or landfill disposal. The study identified microorganisms capable of degrading polyurethane foams, particularly through microbial consortia with high polyurethanelytic activity. Using respirometric techniques, it was shown that some foams reached biodegradability levels comparable to Impranil® DLN-SD (Covestro), a polyurethane recognized as biodegradable. Additionally, two successful biodegradation procedures were implemented in pilot bioreactors: one using a consortium of microorganisms from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP Quart-Benàger) and another using the bacterial consortium developed at AIDIMME. The activity of the microorganisms was confirmed by image analysis, which revealed alterations in the three-dimensional structure of the polyurethane, such as cracks, jagged edges, and cavities, as well as by FTIR spectroscopy, which demonstrated the cleavage of ester bonds and the use of functional groups as carbon and nitrogen sources. Likewise, metabolites of industrial interest were identified in the culture media used in the pilot tests. These include 4-diethylaminophenyl isothiocyanate and 1,1,1-tris(hydroxymethyl)propane, compounds useful as chemical reagents and raw materials for the manufacture of polymers such as polyurethanes and polyesters. This advance underscores the potential of biodegradation as a solution for the sustainable management of plastic waste in the furniture sector, also generating valuable byproducts for the chemical industry. Deliverables:          - - - PUBLISHED NEWS general broadcast https://actualidad.aidimme.es/2024/10/10/sales-ibiza-pod (...) https://actualidad.aidimme.es/2024/05/29/la-id-de-aidimm (...) https://actualidad.aidimme.es/2024/05/29/aidimme-atrae-a (...) https://actualidad.aidimme.es/2024/01/24/especial-proyec (...) https://actualidad.aidimme.es/2023/11/20/feder-23-24-eco (...) https://actualidad.aidimme.es/2023/09/06/biopur-inicio/ (...) https://actualidad.aidimme.es/2023/07/25/movilidad-intel (...) Technical dissemination, transfer https://actualidad.aidimme.es/2024/12/18/soluciones-id-2 (...) https://actualidad.aidimme.es/2024/12/18/nuevos-material (...) https://x.com/AIDIMME/status/1869995961965019404 (...) https://www.facebook.com/100057361453408/posts/108035247 (...) https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:727 (...) https://actualidad.aidimme.es/2024/11/07/la-degradacion- (...) https://x.com/AIDIMME/status/1854790430472147150 (...) https://www.facebook.com/100057361453408/posts/105158482 (...) https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:726 (...) https://aidimme-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/rsaiz_a (...) https://www.interempresas.net/Mobiliario/Articulos/57356 (...) https://www.interempresas.net/Mobiliario/Articulos/56858 (...) https://www.interempresas.net/Plastico/Articulos/568588- (...) https://actualidad.aidimme.es/2024/05/28/aidimme-partici (...) https://actualidad.aidimme.es/2024/07/09/la-iniciativa-b (...) https://actualidad.aidimme.es/2024/02/13/participa-proye (...) https://x.com/AIDIMME/status/1760920385367728343?s=20 (...) http://www.facebook.com/611045612382583/posts/8863707099 (...) https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:716 (...) https://x.com/AIDIMME/status/1738094878981075290?s=20 (...) http://www.facebook.com/611045612382583/posts/8495492736 (...) https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:714 (...) https://actualidad.aidimme.es/2023/12/19/bacterias-contr (...) Dissemination companies https://www.interempresas.net/Mobiliario/Articulos/56401 (...) https://actualidad.aidimme.es/2024/05/28/biopur-perfila- (...) GRANT €190.375 "" TARGET AUDIENCE AND IMPACT MEASUREMENT 5749 Access to the project website 5485 Access to news published on own websites. Total Accesses: 11234 Objective Sectors by CNAE CNAE: 2016 - Manufacture of plastics in raw forms - Number of target companies: 79 (34 from the Valencian Community) CNAE: 3103 - Manufacture of mattresses - No. of target companies: 149 (41 in the Valencian Community) CNAE: 3109 - Manufacture of other furniture - No. of target companies: 5597 (1334 in the Valencian Community) CNAE: 3821 - Treatment and disposal of non-waste - Number of target companies: 22 (15 from the Valencian Community) TRACTOR COMPANIES Thanks to its support and signature of the "declaration of participation" the project has been funded. MISSANA TAPICERIAS, SL COLCHON STAR, SA COMOTEX REST SYSTEMS, SL HEALTHCARE FOAM, SL COMPANIES DIFFUSION R&D PROJECTS They want to know first-hand the evolution of the project, and its progress to the final result. COMPANIES TRANSFER KNOWLEDGE They will implement technologies, develop strategies or look for new models based on the results.