The TripleW team, coordinators of the CIRCLE project, participated in the 34th European Biomass Conference & Exhibition (EUBCE), held in The Hague, Netherlands, from 19-22 May 2026.
- Presentation: Scaling Circular Chemistry: Industrial-Scale Production of Lactic Acid and PLA from Food Waste via the CIRCLE project
- Summary: The CIRCLE project marks a significant advancement in bio-based chemical engineering by successfully scaling the conversion of third-generation organic food waste into high-purity lactic acid and polylactic acid (PLA). By retrofitting existing anaerobic digestion infrastructure, TripleW’s proprietary process valorizes 100,000 tonnes of annual waste through a patented, gypsum-free fermentation pathway that eliminates traditional calcium sulfate byproducts and streamlines downstream purification. Technical validation alongside partners like Sulzer confirms that these waste-derived monomers can produce high-performance bioplastics with a 75% lower carbon footprint than fossil-based alternatives. This framework not only proves the economic viability of replacing crop-based feedstocks but also establishes a truly circular material loop through chemical depolymerization, allowing PLA products to be recycled back into their original building blocks without compromising quality.
EUBCE is Europe’s leading biomass conference, connecting science, industry and policy to advance the sustainable bioeconomy. The presentation attracted interest from the community and helped raise the visibility of CIRCLΕ’s work among researchers, industry representatives and other stakeholders working to advance the circular bioeconomy. The event also opened the door to new collaboration opportunities and discussions around the further development and scale-up of the technologies.
