The LIFE Comp0live project concludes with the development of components for Ford vehicles and furniture made from enhanced plastics derived from olive tree pruning

The headquarters of Andaltec Technological Center has hosted today the final workshop of this European initiative in which Citoliva participates. The initiative aims to revalue olive tree pruning residues to obtain materials for manufacturing more sustainable automotive and furniture plastic components.

Around a hundred people, including researchers and representatives from companies and institutions in the plastic and olive sectors, have participated in today’s final workshop of the European project LIFE COMP0LIVE. The event took place at the headquarters of Andaltec Technological Center in Martos. The scientific dissemination activity was inaugurated by Emilio Torres, Mayor of Martos; Francisco Reyes, President of the Provincial Council of Jaén; Jesús Estrella, Government Delegate of the Junta de Andalucía in Jaén, and José María Navarro, Manager of Andaltec Technological Center. The authorities highlighted the extraordinary results achieved in this project, led by Andaltec from the province of Jaén, bringing together two of the main economic sectors in Jaén: olive oil production and the plastics industry.

Participants had the opportunity to explore the demonstrators developed in this project, including benches (urban furniture applications), two different types of Ford car model parts (automotive applications), and a shelf (home furniture application). All these items were manufactured using the new sustainable materials obtained. The consortium of the European project Comp0live, funded by the European Commission through the LIFE program, includes Andaltec, the University of Jaén, Citoliva, and Matricería Peña (Spain), Caliplast and Plasturgia (France), and Ford-Werke GmbH (Germany).

After the inauguration, Francisco Javier Navas, Principal Investigator of the LIFE Comp0live project, explained the main objectives and results achieved. LIFE Comp0live is a European research and development project with the primary goal of valorizing olive tree pruning waste to turn it into a value-added raw material with the potential to be introduced into polymeric matrices, enhancing their properties and reducing the environmental impact of the final products.

Subsequent presentations covered applications of the developed materials in the automotive sector, experiences in using the new material in domestic and urban furniture, and insights from the olive oil sector. The workshop also addressed collaboration between the public and private sectors, bioprocesses, and bioeconomy.

The afternoon session included presentations on the application of supercritical technology in polymer functionalization, valorization of agro-residues in processed composite materials, conversion of olive pomace into intermediate energy carriers, and innovations in the botanical extracts industry. The renowned scientific communicator Deborah García Bello concluded the workshop with a presentation titled “My Plastic House.”

The goal of LIFE Comp0live is to foster the creation of new business models for the olive sector by utilizing olive tree pruning waste to produce biocomposite materials applicable in the manufacturing of automotive components, urban furniture, and home furnishings. The project offers numerous benefits, including the substitution of fossil-based materials with more sustainable alternatives and the reduction of emissions caused by the burning of olive tree pruning waste, which generates over 500,000 tons of CO2 annually in the province of Jaén alone.

The LIFE Comp0live project addresses the need to revalue olive-related waste, considering the volume generated annually in the entire Mediterranean region and providing a solution to environmental issues associated with this waste. The objective is to establish a suitable ecosystem based on a new business model, allowing farmers to benefit from the added value of olive tree pruning as a reinforcement material for technical materials.

To watch the video of the final workshop, click here.