Spanish plastics technology centre Aimplas (Valencia; www.aimplas.net) is coordinating the European "DAFIA" project (www.dafia-project.eu) that is aiming to develop high-value products from organic municipal and fish waste. Aimplas said the organic waste can be recovered to produce products such as flame-retardant additives, gelatine-based edible coatings to extend the shelf life of fish and chemicals to produce bioplastics, or alternatively be incorporated in multilayer packages.

The organisation said it will synthesise new polyamides from the acids and amines yielded from fermenting household waste. Flame-retardant additives can be made from the high content of nucleic acids that fish contain in their spawn and semen. As well as an edible fish coating, the gelatines obtained from fish rest raw materials (the parts left after the edible portion has been removed) can be used to develop active packaging.

The four-year project, which is being funded by the EU under its "Horizon 2020" innovation programme, involves researchers from various institutes in the EU, Norway, Turkey and Israel, including academia and industry.