The GRECO project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme, has officially launched to advance “biobased, biodegradable, recyclable, safe, and circular food packaging” through a new generation of PLA copolymers, coatings, additives, and green catalysts. The €7.6 million initiative will kick off with a meeting hosted by AIMPLAS in Valencia on 16–17 June 2025.
Led by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) and coordinated by Dimitrios Bikiaris, the consortium comprises 22 partners, including European Bioplastics, TotalEnergies Corbion, INNOTECH COEXPAN-EMSUR, and AIMPLAS.
“The GRECO project aligns with the new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation by developing biobased, biodegradable, and recyclable PLA copolymers for food packaging,” said Bikiaris. “Our goal is to create sustainable and circular solutions that reduce waste and environmental impact.”
GRECO will focus on designing and scaling up flexible and rigid packaging materials for applications including cheese, processed meat, fresh meat, berries, and nuts, offering improved moisture and aroma retention while extending shelf life.
At the technical core of the initiative, AIMPLAS will implement reactive extrusion (REX) and mechanochemistry to develop advanced materials. “We are particularly excited to implement reactive extrusion (REX) as a green chemistry technology for developing tailor-made and safe-and-sustainable-by design PLA-based copolymers for the food packaging sector, scaling them up to TRL 7,” said Belén Monje, Leading Researcher on Sustainable Chemistry. She added: “The contribution on the development of PLA- copolymers by reactive extrusion and on the production of additives by mechanochemistry is novel and groundbreaking.”
TotalEnergies Corbion will also play a key role in material development. “As part of GRECO, TotalEnergies Corbion is contributing to the development of new PLA copolymers that deliver improved packaging performance and functionality, while boosting recyclability and biodegradability,” said Jenifer Mitja. She noted: “PLA’s versatility, biobased origin, and wide industrial availability make it a key enabler in addressing the performance and sustainability requirements set by the new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.”
The project will also explore multiple end-of-life (EoL) scenarios, including mechanical and chemical recycling in both open and closed-loop systems, as well as aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation in marine, water, soil, and composting environments. Certification bodies TÜV AUSTRIA Belgium and DIN CERTCO will “use the inputs to plan changes and revisions in their certification schemes.”
Consumer perception is also a key component. The GRECO consortium will “collect and analyse qualitative and quantitative data on consumer needs and their perceptions to ascertain how GRECO products align with the perceptions of consumers and their related values, such as sustainability, usability, and accessibility.”
Hasso von Pogrell, Managing Director of European Bioplastics, stated: “European Bioplastics strongly believes that an actionable EU Bioeconomy Strategy should be a top priority to safeguard the strength of our European industries. This is only possible with a strong collaboration between all stakeholders, more policy support, and technological advancement. This project is an outstanding example of this collaboration and will bring great advancement to the development of circular bioplastics.”
GRECO is expected to contribute directly to major European strategies, including the Plastics Strategy, the Single-Use Plastics Directive, the Circular Economy Action Plan, and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.
