"Saxy Plastics" - Innovative plastics from Saxony

Plastic waste has a massive impact on the environment. Conventional recycling processes lead to a loss of quality in the recyclate and so-called "bioplastics" have not yet been able to establish themselves on a large scale due to their limited performance.

As lead partner of the joint project "Saxy Plastics", the Leipzig-based start-up aevoloop is developing new types of plastics using a patented process. The materials are robust and versatile. They can be kept in closed cycles and therefore offer real added value for the environment and society.

The activities of the scientific partners at "Saxy Plastics" are aimed at further developing the plastics and scaling up production capacities: Leipzig University is developing enzymes that can break down the polymers into their starting molecules even under mild conditions. The Center for the Transformation of Chemistry (CTC) focuses on accelerating the transfer from basic research to industrial scale. The Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden e. V. (IPF) plays a key role in the development of application-specific compounds based on polymers.

• "Groundbreaking biotechnological research"

Prof. Dr. Jens Eilers, Vice-Rector for Excellence Development: Research and Transfer at Leipzig University, says: "We are delighted with the success of this research project, in which pioneering biotechnological research at Leipzig University is to be transferred into industrial applications for the sustainable recycling of plastics."

Prof. Dr. Matthias Meier, Director of the Biotechnological-Biomedical Centre (BBZ) at Leipzig University, adds: "Two young researchers from our center, together with other scientists, have developed enzymes for the degradation of plastics and founded the start-up ESTER Biotech in order to use and optimize biotechnological processes for the degradation of new types of plastics. The use of enzymes as highly effective biocatalysts will make a decisive contribution to the transformation of chemistry from fossil to renewable raw materials and for recycling processes."

"Saxy Plastics" is funded by the European Union and the Free State of Saxony as part of the SAB's (Sächsische Aufbaubank) joint R&D project funding. The latter is supporting the research project with a grant volume of 6.4 million euros from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and from tax revenue on the basis of the budget approved by the Saxon state parliament. The joint project has a total volume of almost 8.4 million euros.