Consortium

Since its founding in 2016, TripleW has been committed to addressing the environmental and financial challenges of waste management. Our technology treats abundantly available food waste as a third-generation renewable feedstock to produce pure lactic acid for personal care, home care, food and beverage, industrial applications and as a building block of polylactic acid (PLA bioplastic). This process can be implemented anywhere in the world where food waste is discarded, diverting waste from landfills, generating green jobs, and reducing the financial burden of organic waste.

CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROJECT: In CIRCLE Project, TripleW will deploy its technology by retrofitting existing anaerobic digestion facilities. Additionally, TripleW will confirm the replicability potential of the technology to expand production of Circulac Lactic acid and its derivatives, and Circulac PLA in waste management plants throughout Europe.

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Ecover produces environmentally friendly and sustainable cleaning products based on plant-derived and mineral ingredients for the consumer market. Ecover and Method are the brands under the lifestyle POD department of the family-owned company SC Johnson. The European production and R&D centres are in Malle (Belgium) and ensure development and production of all products these brands hold for the European market. Ecover has a long list of developments to improve its product line, both from packaging (ocean plastic), formulation (sophorolipids) and business models (refills) point of view. Ecover Co-ordination center BV is the R&D branch of the group, situated in Belgium, Malle, where it is responsible for development of formulations, packaging and ingredient strategy implementation and general improvements to the technical product experience.

CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROJECT: Ecover represents part of the industries’ end user segment of the consortium. With a strong interest to look for more sustainable ingredient sourcing – formula ingredients as well as packaging materials- Ecover will examine the possibilities, risks, and opportunities of using 2G lactic acid streams as an ingredient in its cleaning formulations. Lactic acid is used as a descaling agent, mainly in the surface cleaner segment and toilet cleaners, and provides a great proof point from Ecover’s point of view to proof consumer readiness for this next level of sustainable sourcing of cleaning product ingredients.

The Volkswagen Group is one of the world’s leading car makers, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. It operates globally, with 119 production facilities in 19 European countries and 10 countries in the Americas, Asia and Africa and around 676,000 employees worldwide. The Group’s vehicles are sold in over 150 countries. With an unrivalled portfolio of strong global brands, leading technologies on a scale, innovative ideas to tap into future profit pools and an entrepreneurial leadership team, the Volkswagen Group is committed to shaping the future of mobility through investments in electric and autonomous driving vehicles, digitalization and circular economy. The R&I Department is investigating the use of recycled materials and new biomaterials in several automotive applications. Volkswagen is seeking to intensify efforts for a transition to a loop-oriented and resource conserving way of doing business. To achieve this, the Group banks on consolidated alliances and the implementation of joint projects with various partners, such as suppliers, plant manufacturers, the recycling sector and universities.

CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROJECT: Volkswagen will bring in this network to the success of CIRCLE project and will provide international visibility to the project’s results.

Sulapac Ltd is an award-winning material innovation company bringing solutions to the global plastic crisis. By replacing conventional plastic with sustainable, beautiful, and functional Sulapac materials, companies can reduce their carbon footprint, eliminate microplastic pollution, and advance the circular economy. The Helsinki-based company was founded by three scientists in 2016 and serves customers across various industries on three continents. Investors behind Sulapac®, the patented material innovation, include CHANEL and Sky Ocean Ventures.

CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROJECT: Sulapac’s role in the CIRCLE project is to demonstrate how feedstock originating from food waste can be utilized in premium packaging materials, for example in the cosmetic sector.

ZER0-E is a sustainable engineering company comprised of skilled engineers, scientists, and professionals, dedicated to building a sustainable future with net-zero emissions. Through advanced tools and innovative solutions, ZER0-E aims to minimize environmental impacts and promote efficient, circular systems. The company operates in three key areas: i) sustainable buildings and industries, ii) green software development, and iii) environmental and economic assessments.

CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROJECT: As WP7 leader, ZER0-E will co-lead the CIRCLE project’s sustainability impact assessment with ICONS, focusing on circularity and the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework. WP7 will evaluate the feasibility of sustainable processes through economic, environmental, and social impact studies, applying LCC, LCA, and s-LCA methodologies based on established standards and certifications.

Fibenol is an Estonian cleantech pioneer committed to transforming the material and chemical industry towards sustainability. Our groundbreaking wood valorization pre-treatment process, Sunburst, transforms over 90% of residual and low-quality hardwood into novel biomaterials—lignin, wood sugars, and specialty cellulose—produced in our flagship plant following zero-waste principles. These renewable biomaterials replace fossil-based chemicals, supporting the defossilization of everyday materials and urban environments. Our low-carbon solutions are used in various applications, from construction materials and biocomposites to biosurfactants and home care products.

CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROJECT: Fibenol wood sugars are used as feedstock materials in the CIRCLE project. In addition, quality, improvement and optimisation of the lignocellulosic sugars specifically for lactic acid production will also be in focus.

Founded in 2010, TIPA set out to solve the environmental challenges posed by flexible plastic packaging, creating solutions that leave behind no toxic residue, microplastics, or other pollutants. TIPA envisions flexible packaging that shares the same end-of-life as organic matter while retaining essential qualities of conventional plastics, such as durability, transparency, barrier protection, sealability, printability, and shelf-life. TIPA’s sustainable packaging solutions are designed to integrate seamlessly with industrial machinery and manufacturing practices.

ROLE IN THE PROJECT: In the PLA-based applications phase, TIPA will take the lead in developing food packaging for this project. Using PLA from the CIRCLE process, the company will conduct fundamental polymer analysis to assess production suitability, create compostable films and laminates through a co-extrusion method, and perform the necessary regulatory tests for commercialization.

Founded in 1999, ICONS has 25 years of experience in communication, dissemination, exploitation and social innovation of EU-funded projects. The main aim of the Foundation is to build bridges between research and society, using an integrated, impact-driven and measurable approach. Since its creation, ICONS has been involved in more than 100 EU funded collaboration projects – 40 in H2020 and more than 60 in Horizon Europe so far.

CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROJECT: In CIRCLE, ICONS leads on ensuring the involvement of all key actors in the value chains relevant to the project, contributing to make the CIRCLE results demand-driven and relevant to society (WP8 and Task 7.4).

ΕΤΑΜ S.A. is a development planning and business consulting company, founded in 1993, based in Heraklion, Greece. For more than 30 years, ΕΤΑΜ has been providing high-quality studies and consulting services for companies, agencies and organizations. Armed with many years of market presence, high scientific expertise and a skilled and experienced workforce, has succeeded in becoming one of the largest consulting firms in the Hellenic periphery. Currently, ETAM employs a multidisciplinary team of 22 managers, senior consultants and consultants, all experts of high academic education. The company is certified with ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, ISO 27001:2013, ISO 27701:2019 & ISO 37001:22017 and is a full member of the Hellenic Association of Management Consulting Firms (member of the European Federation of Management Consultancies Associations). With its long-listed track record (more than 700 projects since 1993) ETAM is specialized in a variety of fields such as Market Analysis, Business Planning, Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation, Cross-border and Transnational Cooperation, Rural Development, Environmental Management, Feasibility Studies and Field Research. 

CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROJECT: In CIRCLE ETAM is leading WP9 Dissemination, Communication, Exploitation and Replication.

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FrieslandCampina, a leading dairy cooperative based in the Netherlands, is deeply committed to sustainable practices. As one of the largest dairy cooperatives globally, it operates across the full dairy supply chain—from its member farmers to consumers—ensuring sustainability at every step. The company’s sustainability efforts align with its ambitious climate strategy, “On the way to net climate-neutral dairy,” which includes targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fostering biodiversity.

One element of FrieslandCampina’s sustainability approach involves optimizing the use of raw materials and minimizing waste. This commitment extends to the valorization of lactose-rich by-products from its dairy operations, positioning FrieslandCampina as a vital supplier of these resources for innovative, circular production chains. 

CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROJECT: In the context of the CIRCLE consortium, FrieslandCampina contributes its lactose-rich food byproduct as feedstock material in the production of sustainable biopolymers such as polylactic acid (PLA). We are excited to contribute towards the creation of an environmentally friendly product by valorising one of our side streams, thus creating a more circular supply chain!

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