The project

BBPlug will develop nursery pots made of an added-value biomaterial obtained from food-derived wastes. The biomaterial will be enriched by biological agents that stimulate the growth of plants and molecules that buffer the thermal changes. Biodegradable pots can be placed in the soil without having to extract the seedling, an operation necessary when plastic supports are used. This will improve production in horticulture as plants will benefit from the presence of bio-stimulants from the early stages of growth and will not suffer thermal stress during growth in seedbeds nor the stress caused by transplant in open field. The new product has the potential to create new job opportunities in the field of biomaterials, contribute to the achievement of a circular development in the economy of the agri-food sector and generally increase ecological awareness in citizens.

The BBPlug project aims to respond to several important needs and critical issues affecting society and the productive world:

• the high production of waste from the agri-food chain, in particular from the fresh vegetable (fruit and vegetable) ready-to-eat food industry defined as fourth range food
• the need for a transition toward a circular economy in the agri-food sector, where processing waste becomes a resource for the productive sector
• the need to reduce the production and use of single-use plastic tools in favour of biodegradable and sustainable materials, resulting in environmental benefits and the generation of new job opportunities in the emerging bio-plastics sector