PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Europe is the second largest producer of pulp and paper in the world. The industry generates 11 million tonnes of waste annually in Europe, which is sent to landfills or refuse sites. A significant portion of this waste is black liquor, a toxic substance that is mostly burnt for energy or sent to disposal sites.
Furthermore, the use of synthetic aromatic additives in paper products presents further problems. Their production requires a significant amount of energy, while recent observations indicate possible cytotoxic and carcinogenic effects.
OBJECTIVES
The ZEBRA-LIFE project addresses the environmental impact of waste production by the pulp and paper industry and the environmental and health impacts related to the production and use of synthetic additives in multiple industrial products. Specifically, it aims to produce sustainable lignin-derived bio-aromatics for use by a range of industries. The project will demonstrate on a pre-commercial scale an innovative approach to chemical depolymerisation and fractionation of technical kraft lignin from black liquor into bio-aromatics with antioxidant activity and UV filter properties. These processes will be validated in the formulation of a range of end products, including cosmetics, rubber components, food stuffs, fuels and lubricants.
RESULTS
Expected results:
- Reduction of the waste and greenhouse gas emissions from the pulp and paper industry;
- Increased renewable energy production from a locally sourced product;
- Implementation of a circular economy solution that can be scaled up; and
- Contribution to the Circular Economy Action Plan by creating new loops between the paper and pulp industry and other sectors, as well as to the ‘fit for 55’ package by decreasing the production and utilisation of fossil fuel-based additives and increasing the renewable energy share in the paper and pulp industry.
