Surfactants are essential in various industries. They are used in home care, cosmetics, and food. Many surfactants are chemically produced. This raises concerns about deforestation and supply chains. Global surfactant production is around 18 million tonnes. It is projected to reach 47 billion euros by 2027.
Growing demand exists for safe, sustainable options. Currently, just 4% of surfactants are bio-based. The SURFs UP project aims to fill this gap. It will develop optimized processes. The project will focus on nine second-generation biosurfactants.
These products will come from renewable feedstocks. They will utilize wood processing waste and regional food waste. The project will focus on microbial biosurfactants. It will also study chemically produced biosurfactants from lignin. Each product will be thoroughly evaluated for safety. Sustainability will also be a key evaluation point.
Production will be scaled up, creating prototypes. These will be for home care and agrochemical applications. The project will prioritize cost-efficiency and sustainability. Economic and environmental assessments will be conducted.
