23 Oct 2023 — Aimplas, the Plastics Technology Centre, is creating a barrier coating for food packaging from fish galantine, alongside cosmetic packaging from fishing nets, for the Ecoefishent initiative. 

The project is dedicated to harnessing ocean by-products like fish galantine and fishing nets to develop environmentally sustainable food and cosmetic packaging solutions. Supported by a consortium of 34 partners from seven different countries and spearheaded by FILSE spa (the Financial body for Economic Development of the Ligurian regional administration), the project is funded under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 program.

The project aims to deploy sustainable and efficient use of fish-processing side streams by obtaining bio-actives and galantine for high-value-added food supplements and skin care products, as well as biodegradable and compostable barrier layers for food packaging. 

Aligned with the European Strategy for Bioplastics in a Circular Economy, beginning with gelatine extracted from fish processing side-streams, the project aims to create a gas barrier biopolymer coating for packaging sensitive food items, such as meat, fish and cheese.

The solution seeks to replace conventional fossil-based barrier polymers while maintaining functionality, sustainability and safety. The process will be scaled up to facilitate industrial pilot production and provide compostable packaging for fish food.

The project aims to create a gas barrier biopolymer coating for packaging sensitive food items, such as meat, fish and cheese.Repurposing ocean waste
Ecoefishent extends its impact to address the issue of recycling fishing nets from both the fishing and aquaculture sectors. Aimplas will repurpose the recovered PE from these nets to produce cosmetic packaging using extrusion, injection molding and lamination processing.

The project’s approach includes creating a pre-processing pilot unit to transform fish by-products into high-value end products, ranging from food supplements to cosmetics and bio-based polymers. The Ecoefishent initiative has implemented six interconnected circular value chains, uniting blue and green economies to harmonize industrial and economic activities with marine ecosystems and protected areas.

The project’s commitment extends to the collection, recovery and recycling of abandoned fishing nets and the implementation of a sustainable fishing program. 

“The project core concept moved from the design, development and deployment of an innovative biomass pre-treatment, coupled with specific extraction technologies,” details Ecoefishent.

Through international research centers and cross-industry collaboration for technology and process development, the project seeks to create environmentally sustainable products in the cosmetics, nutraceuticals and packaging sectors.

“Such innovative outcomes will be made possible by means of a symbiosis systemic approach, with the creation of links inside different industrial domains: Food supplements, cosmetics, packaging, bio-conversion products, soil improvers, automotive, looking beyond fishing and aquaculture to reveal synergies with stakeholders interested and possessing capabilities to derive and provide value from fishing and fish industry side-streams and co-products,” shares Ecoefishent.

Edited by Radhika Sikaria

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