From beer to bioplastics: How LIFE RESTART fuels circular economy and cuts plastic waste in Sicily

Backed by the LIFE Programme and C2M support, the LIFE RESTART project tackles environmental and economic challenges by turning beer industry waste into high-performance bioplastics. How? By substituting 300 tonnes of fossil-based plastics with bioplastics, as a more sustainable alternative, and having projected a €2 million turnover within five years, the project is delivering a tangible model for circular economy innovation.

A circular solution driving sustainable innovation
LIFE RESTART converts beer spent grain into bioplastics, offering several potential market applications in sectors such as automotive, footwear, construction and toys. By incorporating 35% of this waste material, the solution delivers a dual benefit: reducing demand for fossil-based and virgin biopolymers, and easing pressure on natural resources. This directly contributes to reducing plastic pollution and, thanks to the project’s rural location, helps address economic decline in the area.

Regenerating the region with a hub for local development
The project’s production plant is located in Roccavaldina, a small Sicilian village dealing with depopulation, unemployment and limited economic opportunities. Through this initiative, led by the Messina foundation, the once-abandoned factory site is now producing sustainable materials and, at the same time, becoming a hub for local development, engaging researchers, designers and other professionals to revitalise the region.
LIFE RESTART contributes to the EU’s “new Circular Economy Action Plan For a cleaner and more competitive Europe”, the European Green Deal, and regulations regarding the European Climate Law.

C2M support “essential" to access EU market
The LIFE RESTART project has benefited from the LIFE Programme and C2M support not only for physical implementation - such as launching the production site and installing equipment - but also for strategic market access.
“Creating a great product is one thing, but getting it to sell in the market is a whole different story. So, thanks to C2M, being able to connect with the European markets and potential stakeholders, understanding where to focus, and which products are more suitable for the bioplastic is indeed essential in order to achieve market access", explains Giacomo Pinaffo, LIFE RESTART’s project manager.
The project leader also highlighted the valuable  support and flexibility provided by the LIFE Programme and the C2M support, which have been instrumental throughout the project’s development and implementation. 
“I am also very grateful to the LIFE Programme for the flexibility shown during the process, namely during the project implementation period, which enabled us to follow the changes that occurred and that happened due to the research phase, due to the implementation phase, and to the different variables that we needed to take into consideration when implementing such a project", Pinaffo added.

Learn more about this initiative, which focuses on Waste use, Circular economy and Value chains, Food and Beverages, Industrial waste and Waste recycling by exploring our project fiche.

How LIFE helps close-to-market projects
LIFE RESTART is one of the projects supported under LIFE’s close-to-market (C2M) activities.
C2M supports LIFE beneficiaries in bringing their groundbreaking solutions into the market. The projects gain access to a dedicated team with extensive experience, offering insights on business coaching, advisory on business plan development, presentation guidance and expert connection, among other activities.
Looking for support to develop your cleantech solution and bring it to the market? Check out our LIFE Close-to-market page.