InnoWIns - Innovation for plastic Waste treatment through the utilisation of an Insect-based technology

Important results from the project

InnoWIns specifically focused on the substrate preparation, i.e. physical pre-treatment process, for effective handling of unrecyclable plastic waste streams by an insect-based biorefinery. The main goal of the project being to achieve TRL 4 level in the improved pre-treatment process, to go further to the additional goal - stimulation of stakeholders’ engagement and increasing opportunities for collaboration with them. Both those goals have been successfully achieved during the project.

Expected long term effects

The approach developed by InnoWIns allowed an overall process improvement for the two studied waste streams. Thus, 89.5% and 107% of pupation increase were obtained for sludge and matrasses, respectively; and 12.1% and 11.6% of mortality decrease, respectively. Those results allowed connections with several potential customers in Sweden and abroad, thus fastening the future realization of an environmentally-sound and commercially-successful facility transforming unrecyclable plastic waste into sustainable goods, i.e. proteins, lipids and biofertilizers.

Approach and implementation

InnoWIns was articulated in 3 WPs: -Insect process: the selected waste streams have been minced into different particle sizes ranging from 45 to 5 mm and submitted to transformation by insects. Two main parameters were followed during the process: pupation and mortality rates -IPR management and enhancement -communication with different stakeholders about the results of the project. This structure allowed a holistic approach to the technological challenges, continuous dialogue with waste streams providers, and overall contributed to an improvement of Norbite’s business model.