“Together with Viveros Villanueva and the University of León, TECNALIA is working on circular economy applied to the vine nursery sector”
Giving lignocellulosic waste from vine nurseries a new lease of life
The objectives of the VIVERECO initiative are to recover currently underused plant-based waste and transform it into new bio-based materials that can be used directly by the nursery sector:
- Bioactive plant skin: formulations based on cellulosic fractions and natural compounds obtained from some nursery waste, with antifungal and antioxidant properties, will be developed. This skin will act as a protective barrier and allow the release of active compounds in a controlled manner.
- Chipboard for pallets: we will design and pilot-scale manufacture sustainable pallets from lower value plant fractions, with the aim of facilitating local and direct application within nursery operations.
Throughout the project, work will be carried out to characterise and condition waste, obtain bio-based components for new protective formulations and manufacture chipboard for internal use in nurseries.
Viveros Villanueva, the University of León and TECNALIA are working together to combine nursery experience, research in microbiology and antifungal compounds, and material development and biomass recovery.
An environmental challenge and an opportunity for the bioeconomy
Plant-based waste generated in the nursery sector contains lignocellulosic fractions which, with suitable conditioning and recovery processes, can be transformed into useful components for new bio-based applications.
- However, their advanced use is still limited due to the heterogeneity of the material, logistic problems and the need to develop biorefinery processes adapted to this type of waste.
- In contrast to conventional uses with less added value, VIVERECO25 proposes an alternative based on the circular economy: converting this waste into useful resources for the sector itself, reducing its environmental impact and generating new value opportunities.
- VIVERECO25 is fully aligned with the priorities of the State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation 2024-2027, especially with the thematic priority relating to food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture, climate and environment.
Project funded by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, the Spanish National Research Agency and ERDF funds.