The Waste2BioComp project, formally titled “Converting organic waste into sustainable bio‑based components”, was funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme. It ran from June 2022 to May 2025, with a total budget of EUR 5.86 million fully supported by the EU. Coordinated by the Centro Tecnológico das Indústrias Têxtil e do Vestuário de Portugal (CITEVE), the project brought together 13 partners from France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland. Waste2BioComp aimed to demonstrate the production of bio‑based materials derived from organic waste at relevant scale, providing sustainable alternatives to fossil‑based materials for the textiles, footwear and packaging value chains. The project addressed the full life cycle of bio‑based products, from feedstock sourcing and material development to manufacturing, validation and circular end‑of‑life strategies 

A central focus of Waste2BioComp was the development and validation of bio‑based materials and their application in industrial manufacturing processes across multiple value chains.  

Key achievements of the project include:

• Development of bio‑based materials derived from organic waste, including PHAs, bio‑based microparticles, antimicrobial nanocapsules and pigments, produced through scalable chemical and fermentation processes.
• Development and validation of innovative manufacturing and printing technologies, including bio‑based inkjet inks and 2D and 3D smart inkjet printing solutions applicable for textiles, leather, paper, foams and packaging materials.
• Validation of bio-based products across multiple cases, including shoe soles and insoles, packaging materials, protective face masks, garments, printed shoes and coated textiles.

Supporting outcomes included comprehensive sustainability and toxicity assessments confirming reduced environmental impact of the developed materials, as well as training and dissemination activities supporting skills development and uptake.

Waste2BioComp contributed to EU objectives on sustainability, circular economy and climate neutrality by demonstrating practical pathways to replace fossil-based materials with bio-based alternatives derived from organic waste. By validating innovative materials and manufacturing routes in representative industrial applications, the project supported reduced environmental impact and improved resource efficiency in highly polluting sectors such as textiles, footwear and packaging. By assessing the newly developed materials, the project contributed to the development of circular bio-based solutions with the potential to support lower environmental impacts across industrial value chains. The integration of sustainability assessment, circular end-of-life strategies and skills development strengthens the readiness of European industries to adopt bio-based solutions and supports the EU’s transition towards more resilient, circular and low-carbon industrial value chains. 

Waste2BioComp was implemented through close collaboration between research organisations, technology providers and industrial partners across several European countries. The multidisciplinary consortium combined expertise in bio‑based materials, manufacturing technologies, printing systems and sustainability assessment. Knowledge exchange was facilitated through scientific publications, conferences, dissemination events and newsletters. The project produced various knowledge outputs, including academic publications, conference presentations, theses and training materials, supporting the development of skills in bio‑based manufacturing sectors. These activities contributed to raising awareness, supporting workforce readiness and facilitating the uptake of bio‑based technologies by industry stakeholders, policymakers and the wider European ecosystem.