Advancing Certification Schemes for Bio-based Feedstock – The BIORECER Project

The EU funded BIORECER project, currently in its 18^th month, aims to increase the use and to improve the environmental sustainability and traceability of biological raw materials for the bio-based industry. The project additionally assesses novel value chains based on biological feedstocks, including organic by-products, waste and wastewater, in a BioResources Innovation Ecosystem Living-Lab (BRIE-LL). This BRIE-LL consists of an innovative digital platform (a newly developed BioResources ICT-tool, the BIT) and a physical stakeholder platform and will test the assessment framework in four case studies:

Agriculture (Greece)
Fishery Residues (Spain)
Forestry (Sweden)
Municipal organic waste and wastewater (Italy)

Organic by-products and waste offer significant potential as secondary raw materials, but to compete with conventional fossil feedstocks, their utilisation requires robust evaluation, certification, and enhanced traceability. The current certification landscape exhibits gaps when it comes to organic feedstock, leading to a lack of traceability and hindering the effective use and profitability for the bio-based industries.

The BIORECER project seeks to address these challenges by developing guidelines to improve existing certification schemes for bio-based value-chains, to increase the added value and to promote the utilisation of biological feedstocks to replace fossil-based raw materials and reduce landfill and waste generation. This initiative aligns with the overarching goal of achieving a climate-neutral Europe by 2050 and of establishing a profitable circular bio-economy in the EU.

YouTube — BioReCer is proud to present its new project video

The project rests on three main technological pillars:

Multidimensional Assessment Framework: BIORECER aims to develop a comprehensive assessment framework in order to analyse biological feedstocks and their associated supply chains. This framework will provide a nuanced understanding of environmental performance and trade considerations.

BioResources Innovation Ecosystem Living-Lab (BRIE-LL): The BRIE-LL enables real-world testing of the assessment framework across four case studies in Spain, Italy, Greece, and Sweden. These case studies will encompass diverse biological feedstock origins and regional value chains.

Adapted Certification Schemes: Leveraging insights garnered from the assessment framework and case studies, BioReCer will propose new criteria that align with EU taxonomy and EU corporate due diligence regulations for certifying sustainability, origin, and traceability of biological resources. These adapted certification schemes aim for applicability at both EU and global scales.

To make your voice heard, participate in training actions and make sure the developed tools meet the criteria of your bio-based industry, become a stakeholder at: https://biorecer.eu/brsp/.

More information on BioReCer is available at https://biorecer.eu.

About BioReCer

The BioReCer project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.