Novamont and Partners Advance WOOD4PLASTIC Project to Transform Hardwood Waste into Bioplastics

Novamont, a leader in the development of biodegradable and compostable bioplastics, has announced significant advancements in the collaborative WOOD4PLASTIC project. The initiative aims to develop sustainable value chains by converting underutilized hardwood residues into high-value biopolymers, marking a pivotal step toward decoupling bioplastic production from food-grade crops.

Valorizing Forest Residues

The WOOD4PLASTIC project addresses a critical gap in the bioeconomy: the efficient utilization of low-quality hardwood, which is often relegated to incineration for energy or left to decay. Through advanced biorefinery processes, the consortium focuses on the fractionation of lignocellulosic biomass.

The core technology involves extracting fermentable sugars from hardwood hemicellulose and cellulose. These sugars serve as the feedstock for microbial fermentation processes to produce bio-based monomers. Novamont’s role centers on integrating these wood-derived building blocks into their proprietary formulations, testing their viability in creating biodegradable polyesters that meet rigorous mechanical and compostability standards.

A Model for Circular Bioeconomy

This development represents a strategic shift toward second-generation feedstocks. By utilizing hardwood waste—sourced from sustainable forestry management and wood processing industries—the project alleviates concerns regarding land-use competition with food production.

The technical workflow demonstrated by the partners highlights the potential for creating a cascade utilization model. Lignin, a byproduct of the sugar extraction process, is also being evaluated for use in value-added applications, ensuring that the entirety of the biomass is valorized. The resulting bioplastics are designed for applications requiring biodegradability in soil and industrial composting environments, such as agricultural mulch films and food waste collection bags.

Novamont continues to validate the scalability of these materials, proving that forestry waste streams can serve as a reliable, renewable foundation for the next generation of compostable packaging and agricultural solutions.

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