Growing pressure to improve plastic waste management and reduce reliance on fossil resources is accelerating the use of bioplastics—with global production capacity projected to reach 5.7 million tonnes by 2029. However, many existing composting and anaerobic digestion facilities do not always achieve complete degradation of some compostable bioplastics, creating environmental and recovery challenges.

To address this, AIMPLAS (the Plastics Technology Centre) is coordinating the MICROFAGO project, which proposes a practical way to speed up the biodegradation of compostable bioplastics in current organic waste treatment processes—without requiring major changes to existing plants. The concept combines beneficial microorganisms with natural viruses (phages). Phages help by acting on bacteria that can hinder degradation, while selected microorganisms are introduced or reinforced to actively break down bioplastics more efficiently.

According to AIMPLAS, the approach is designed to be both effective and scalable. The project will identify the most active microorganisms, ensure sufficient presence during treatment, and validate performance at laboratory, pilot and industrial scales. Results will be benchmarked against biodegradation/fragmentation tests referenced in current regulations. The expected outcome is an environmentally safe, accelerated biodegradation process that supports circular economy goals by improving organic waste recovery (material and energy) and reducing the environmental impact of plastics.

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