Agriloop transforms agricultural waste into biodegradable plastic: the project, partly financed by Europe, was born in Montpellier

Chahinez Aouf presents PHA trays, biodegradable in less than a year. Midi Libre – Lilian Todeschini

Nathalie Gontard, researcher at Inrae, presented the Agriloop project on April 3 to European Commission representative Valérie Drezet-Humezla visiting Montpellier. Launched at the end of 2022, this project is the result of a collaboration between Europe and China. It aims to reuse agricultural waste, transforming it into a biodegradable material in a few months.

The result of a partnership between Europe and China, the Agriloop project aims to valorize "unused agricultural products". It consists of reusing residual plant material from agriculture and producing PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate), a material that resembles plastic while being entirely biodegradable. Nathalie Gontard is director of research at the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE). On a farm, "50% of residues are unused" explains the scientist specializing in ecological packaging. Nathalie Gontard explains that she wants to make her research easily applicable: "We work with manufacturers from the start, so as not to miss the point" . 

Nathalie Gontard presents the Agriloop project. Midi Libre – Lilian Todeschini

An international partnership

Funded by Europe to the tune of 8 million euros, but also by Chinese, Swiss and English partners, it is a very big project: "We reach the upper limit of what is humanly manageable". The team includes “around ten permanent staff and around fifteen contract workers". The partnership with China, which began at the end of 2022, will last "three to six years". Nathalie Gontard has also traveled throughout the country: "The partners there are much more responsive than in Europe".

Chahinez Aouf, researcher on the project, explains: "We are in contact with other European projects". Nathalie Gontard still criticizes Europe for the lack of networking of projects: "We are developing spontaneous networks". Taking advantage of the visit of the head of the Representation of the European Commission in France, Valérie Drezet-Humezla, Nathalie Gontard deplores: "We are supposed to serve an entrepreneurial vision& quot;. Valérie Drezet-Humezla concedes: "We have increased the needs, we have reduced the resources".

"Before, doing research on plastic pollution was not very noble"

Today, with the awareness of climate issues, the scientific world has changed its perspective. "Before, doing research on plastic pollution was not very noble". Even if our society becomes aware of "eternal pollutants", the researcher concedes: "We should not not dream, we are not going to solve the problem of plastic pollution with our materials.

A tour of local projects financed by Europe

As part of a national tour of local projects financed by Europe, Valérie Drezet-Humez, representative of the European Commission in France, visited several projects in Montpellier and its surroundings, including the Agriloop project. 

Occitanie will also benefit from more than 1.2 billion euros in European funds over the period 2021-2027. Europe supports VSEs-SMEs in launching their activities in agricultural and forestry themes, with a fund of more than 26 million euros.