Eco friendly COlourants for Polymer pROducts

Programme 2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B North West Europe

Date of latest update: 2026-01-12

Description

Description (EN):

This project addresses the challenge of transitioning to a place-based, resource efficient, circular economy through enabling the replacement of synthetic colourants with bio-based, degradable colourants. Current synthetic colourants in polymer/plastic products are based on fossil resources, non-biodegradable, and potentially toxic when they are released into the environment during recycling or composting processes and at present, there are no such eco-friendly colourants in plastic products throughout the NWE region. However, there is also a clear demand by industry for bio-based and biodegradable colourants. Through the development of an application-specific colour-masterbatch designed in line with industry specific formulations, full end of life and life cycle assessment (LCA), we will deliver the prototype technical development and commercial proof needed to enable EU businesses to invest in natural eco-friendly colourants. Our project partners have collaborated before in the area of bio-based colourants and represent experts in the field. Our geographic spread allows us to ensure that European best practices are employed, that the most sustainable technologies and implementation practices are widely disseminated, promotes scalability and replicability of solutions through partners TUS, DeltaQ, AVANS and WWU supports to policy alignment, and provides access to additional funding opportunities.

Actual Achievements (EN):

The colored plastic products currently in use contain synthetic colors, which are non-biodegradable and toxic to the environment. This project addressed the industry and customer demand for biodegradable colors. Three feasibility trials were conducted to produce color master batches with strong performance in polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polylactic acid (PLA). Further pilot actions were conducted to mold a product prototype of a food/meat tray from PET and PLA at two different facilities. The colored PLA sample was decolorized to enable its recycling. The developed colors were tested using various degradation methods, and the results indicated that the degradation products from the colors are non-toxic, with one of the degraded products able to serve as a carbon source for microbes after composting. The socioeconomic survey conducted during the project garnered an impressive response of 110 participants from Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, as well as France, Belgium, and India. The findings indicated a substantial willingness among participants to utilize eco-friendly bio-based products, even if it meant compromising on color or faster fading compared to conventional options. Furthermore, this suggests that the developed solution for the project is vital for the circular economy and has the potential for future growth and advancements in commercial applications. These results were achieved by implementing two pilot runs that serve as a replicable solution for eco-friendly colourants. This pilot can be applied to other locations within the partner territories and potentially expanded to other regions or countries. These were achieved by developing joint solutions within the consortium through collaboration, fostering great transnational cooperation with an impact on all countries involved. TUS as the lead partner, oversaw the coordination across the consortium. TUS worked closely with its industry partner, DeltaQ, to determine the industrial parameters for incorporating colorants into polymers in the first phase of the project. DeltaQ offered valuable expertise on developing the colors and incorporating them into color masterbatches within the polymers. TUS then blended the curcumin-derived red colorants into several polymers, including the industry-specific polymer PE. Based on the results and discussions with DeltaQ two feasibility trials were conducted at DeltaQ and TUS, Meanwhile Avans synthesised, upscaled the color production for pilot actions to be conducted at TUS and Centexbel and investigated the extraction. And UM investigated the environmental fate of the colors and conduced public online survey. Hence all partners equally developed the solution. Since it aligns with the EU Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs), the project's outcomes will endure in the long term with a greater impact, as every sector, group, and region strives for circularity and sustainability. While bio-based colorants are gaining traction for their sustainability and reduced environmental impact, they face significant hurdles. For instance, the survey revealed that most participants can compromise the durability of color fade if the colorants are bio-based, yet they were not willing to pay a higher price for the product. Therefore, a key future challenge is streamlining the large-scale production of bio-based colors and incorporating them into PET and PE products at a competitive cost, as cost parity is critical for mass-market adoption. These colors, which have different compositions, also need to meet regulatory standards for market approval. Another challenge is meeting the industry's demand for a broad and precise spectrum of colors for various applications. The scope of the project has strong potential for advancements to address challenges, such as color compatibility for certain groups of polymers, enabling us to target those products as well. Additionally, there are many more avenues for these colors to explore, including inks and dyes for textiles.

Project outputs: Pilot Action(EN)
Colourants(EN)
Website: http://ecopro.nweurope.eu

Thematic information

Green technologies Governance, partnership Waste and pollution

Priority: (VI-B_NWE_3) Transition towards a place-based circular economy

Priority specific objective: RSO2.6. Promoting the transition to a circular and resource efficient economy

Priority policy objective (Interreg specific objective): PO2 A greener, low-carbon transitioning towards a net zero carbon economy and resilient Europe by promoting clean and fair energy transition, green and blue investment, the circular economy, climate change mitigation and adaptation, risk prevention and management, and sustainable urban mobility

Type of intervention: 075 Support to environmentally-friendly production processes and resource efficiency in SMEs

Partners (4)

Lead Partner: Ollscoil Teicneolaíochta na Sionainne: Lár Tíre Iarthar Láir

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 889135563

Partner’s ID if not PIC: IE 3793434QH

Department: PRISM Research Institute

Address: University Road, N37HD68 Athlone, Ireland

Department address: University Road, N37HD68 Athlone, Ireland

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: https://ait.ie

Total budget: EUR 184 150.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 110 490.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 73 660.00

Quality Additives T/A DeltaQ

Name: Quality Additives T/A DeltaQ

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 953444429

Partner’s ID if not PIC: E6423933P

Address: Moydrum Industrial Estate, N37CF82 Athlone, Ireland

Legal status: private

Organisation type: SME

Website: http://deltaq.ie

Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster

Name: Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster

Department: Institute of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology - Microbial Biotechnology and Ecology

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 999853691

Partner’s ID if not PIC: DE126118759

Address: Schlossplatz, 48149 Münster, Germany

Department address: Corrensstrasse, 48149 Münster, Germany

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: https://www.uni-muenster.de/en/

Total budget: EUR 145 878.26

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 87 526.95

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 58 351.31

Stichting Avans

Name: Stichting Avans

Department: MNEXT - Biobased Building Blocks & Products

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 953067681

Partner’s ID if not PIC: NL808852218B01

Address: Professor Cobbenhagenlaan , 5037 DA Tilburg, Netherlands

Department address: Lovensdijkstraat , 4818JH Breda, Netherlands

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: https://www.mnext.nl/

Total budget: EUR 163 436.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 98 061.60

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 65 374.40

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

Quality Additives T/A DeltaQ

Eco friendly COlourants for Polymer pROducts

Partners and Projects info

University of Münster

Eco friendly COlourants for Polymer pROducts

Partners and Projects info

Avans University of Applied Sciences

Eco friendly COlourants for Polymer pROducts

Partners and Projects info

Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest

Eco friendly COlourants for Polymer pROducts

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Eco friendly COlourants for Polymer pROducts

Project acronym: ECOPRO

Project ID: NWE0300332

Project start date: 2024-01-01

Project end date: 2025-06-30

Project status: closed

Relevant mentions and prizes:

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 493 464.26

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 296 078.55

Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 60.00%

Co-financing sources:

ERDF: Amount, EUR 296 078.55. Co-financing rate, 60.00%.

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

(bullets are inserted automatically and may be incorrectly placed)

Deliverables:

Communication strategy
Consortium meeting 1
Engagement strategy
Consortium meeting 2
Preparation of posters and oral presentation
Consortium meeting 3
Socio-economic analyses and communication
Test pre-selected colourants in industry specific polymers.
Produce 3 colourants and sent to partners.
Extraction of colourants from colour master batches and end products.
Identifying industrial parameters for incorporation of colourants into the polymers.
The feasibility study
Pilot production of coloured masterbatches
Evaluation of the coloured polymer product
Pilot production of bottle
Stability and diffusion of colourants
Composting of colourants with biodegradable polymers
Biodegradation of colourant-containing extracts
Socioeconomic survey
Long term action plan
Protocol for colourants from pilot scale to commercialisation
Dissemination to increase recognition

Programme Common Output Indicator:

RCO 084 - Pilot actions developed jointly and implemented in projects, Measurement unit:
RCO 116 - Jointly developed solutions, Measurement unit:

Delivered output indicator(s):

(RCO84) Pilot actions developed jointly and implemented in projects : 2.0
(RCO116) Jointly developed solutions: 1.0

Programme Common Result Indicator:

RCR 104 - Solutions taken up or up-scaled by organisations, Measurement unit:

Programme Result Indicator:

PSR 1: Organisations with increased institutional capacity due to their participation in cooperation activities across borders, Measurement unit: Organisations

Delivered result indicator(s):

(RCR104) Solutions taken up or up-scaled by organisations: 1.0
Organisations with increased institutional capacity due to their participation in cooperation activities across borders: 4.0

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B North West Europe

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2026-05-12

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

70 / 70 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

753 / 753 (100%)

Notes on the data

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Eco friendly COlourants for Polymer pROducts

Description

Thematic information

Partners (4)

Partners map

Summary

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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