The main objective of the AGRO-VAL project is to develop new plasticulture products from agricultural by-products such as extracts and active compounds from fruit and vegetable waste, plant residues from olive cultivation and/or recycled agricultural film.

The use of these by-products must not interfere with the quality and processability of the product to be obtained. On the other hand, the new plasticulture products developed should be materials that, after end-of-life management, either as biodegradable materials in soil or as leachates from recycled products, are harmless taking into account the germination rate and plant biomass (OECD 208 ) and earthworm biomass (OECD 207 ).

The partial objectives of the project can be summarised as follows:

– Selection, collection and conditioning of different agricultural by-products and new conventional and biodegradable materials in soil. These processes will allow us to adapt their structural characteristics for their incorporation into polymeric matrices.
– Obtaining new compounds by incorporating these by-products into polymeric matrices, using adsorption, compounding and compatibilisation techniques.
– Obtaining new, more sustainable plasticulture products; soil biodegradable agricultural film with antifungal and/or antimicrobial properties for use as mulch, obtaining wood-like profiles and agricultural boxes from recycled film, with a high content of plant remains from olive cultivation and functionalised, irrigation pipes obtained from recycled film with antifungal and/or antimicrobial properties and soil biodegradable pressed pieces with a high content of plant remains for the commercialisation of olive oil.
– Validation of the different products and study of their end-of-life management including their interaction in the plant and animal ecosystem.
The project, to be developed in a time frame of 48 months from April 2023, has a global budget of 5,007,717.00 € and will be executed mainly in the regions of the Valencian Community and Andalusia, thanks to the joint collaboration of these 6 entities:
– ALHÓNDIGA LA UNIÓN, S.A. (consortium leader)
– INDUSTRIA SEVILLANA RECICLAJE DE PLASTICOS, S.L.
– CASTILLO DE CANENA OLIVE JUICE, S.L.
– PLASTICOS INDUSTRIALES Y COMERCIALES DE ALFARRASI, S.L.
– PLASTICOS FERRANDO, S.L.
– TRATAMIENTO Y ORGANIZACION DE TECNICAS EN EQUIPAMIENTOS MULTIPLES, S.L.
Which will also have the collaboration of these 2 Research Organisations:
– AIMPLAS (ASSOCIATION FOR RESEARCH INTO PLASTIC MATERIALS AND RELATED AREAS).
– CAJAMAR EXPERIMENTAL STATION
– UNIVERSITY OF SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
Specifically, the specific objective of PLASTICOS INDUSTRIALES Y COMERCIALES DE ALFARRASI, S.L. (PICDA) is based on the development of a soil biodegradable mulchable agricultural film, functionalised with natural extracts from fruit and vegetable waste, which gives it antifungal and/or antimicrobial properties.

This project is framed within the line of funding for RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN COOPERATION, subsidised by the CDTI, supported by the Ministry of Science and Innovation and co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).