The LIFE CITRUSPACK project team has become finalist for the prestigious 2021 Sustainable Awards. The revolutionary bio-jars and bio-bottles developed from citrus pulp and peel within the framework of the project will compete for the title of this year’s most innovative packaging product on a global scale, subjecting themselves to the strict evaluation of a jury made up of world experts from the entire value chain of this sector.

The winners will be announced at European Packaging, Technology and Process Fair, whose final ceremony will take place on September 29 in Nuremberg (Germany). This year’s edition of the Sustainable Awards is already consolidated as one of the most competitive in recent times, with more than 300 R&D proposals opting to become candidates for the award. Finally, only four of them have been selected to qualify for each category.

The products achieved in CITRUSPACK configure by themselves the complete cycle of the Circular Economy. At the same time, they improve market opportunities for farmers and producers, thanks to the diversification of citrus residues within a new value chain. Currently, only in Spain thousands of tons of citrus fruit waste are generated per year, which do not cease to have a very high potential for industrial use.

Framed in the Europe 2020 Strategy of the European Commission, the CITRUSPACK project, after years of ambitious research, managed to develop three prototypes of bioproducts that will revolutionize the packaging and cosmetics industry: a bottle of juice (biobottle), a cosmetic jar (bio-bottle) ) and a moisturizing face cream. All this, from citrus residues. Several technology centers, laboratories and companies from up to five different countries (Spain, Greece, Slovenia, France, Belgium) have been involved in the project: AITIIP, project coordinator, the Murcian group AMC, Eroski, and the international partners TECOS, OWS , PLASTIPOLIS AND OLVETIA.

Thanks to the work of the partners, a bioplastic material (without petroleum base) was created, which was additive (mixed) with natural fiber from the peel and pulp of citrus fruits. With this material, later, the structure of the bottle and jar was elaborated, obtaining, in addition, the “check” of validation of industrial compostability following the European parameters. Two sustainable alternatives that will now fight to become the most sustainable and innovative products in the world.