Valencian Innovation Initiative Turns Rice Straw into Sustainable Bioplastic
Valencia’s Generalitat, through its Department of Innovation, Industry, Trade and Tourism, funds a bold project to turn straw from regional rice farming into eco-friendly packaging. In Valencia’s Albufera, the effort aims to repurpose agricultural waste while preventing its autumn burning and the resulting air pollution.
Named BIOPLA, the project is guided with European support by the Sociedad de Agricultores de la Vega (SAV), in collaboration with Prime Biopolymers, Viromii and the Institute of Plastic Technologies Aimplas.
One of the core aims is to stop burning this residue, a practice that harms air quality and can affect residents with respiratory issues near the Albufera wetlands. Previous methods to remove the straw faced high costs, limiting implementation and contributing to environmental concerns when the field residue decomposes during the rainy season, potentially impacting water quality and local fish populations.
Add economic value to rice straw
BIOPLA seeks to fit within a circular economy by turning straw into valuable raw material for greener bioplastics that compete with fossil-based plastics. The project envisions not only creating the product but also delivering logistics for collection and storage, demonstrating technical, economic and environmental feasibility at a semi-industrial scale.
The transformation process begins with preparing the plant waste through crushing, enzymatic steps and fermentation to produce lactic acid, which is then converted into polylactic acid, commonly called PLA. PLA is a leading biodegradable polymer and continues to see rising demand as a sustainable alternative with a lower environmental footprint than conventional plastics.
Since the initiative began, the technical team has been testing and refining the processes to optimize PLA production. SAV will scale the process to pilot plant volumes and push ongoing optimization of the biological route.
In this collaboration, SAV coordinates straw supply and storage and oversees the semi-industrial conversion, while working with three specialized partners. Aimplas brings fermentation expertise and process conditions, Prime Biopolymers handles the lactic acid polymerization step and studies, and Viromii analyzes agricultural waste management for the PLA market.
Aligning with the Circular Economy expert committee, BIOPLA supports innovations that reduce waste, promote sustainable consumer goods and align with European Commission policies. The project also fits within the Valencian Community Smart Specialization Strategy, known as S3, under the Department of Innovation, Industry, Trade and Tourism.
Note: This summary excludes contact details and any internal links while presenting the project’s aims, partners, and anticipated impact in a clear, accessible way.