The OLIWA project, Repurposing OLIve WAste in circular economy solutions for feeds, additives, packaging, and biogas, is an ambitious research and innovation initiative that aims to transform olive by-products into valuable co-products. With a strong focus on circular economy and zero-waste principles, the project seeks to establish sustainable value chains across six Mediterranean countries.
Coordinated by the University of Torino in Italy, OLIWA brings together a multidisciplinary consortium of 25 leading partners from Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Algeria, and Tunisia. Among them is AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Centre, contributing its expertise in sustainable materials and packaging solutions.
The project’s main objective is to support the sustainable repurposing of olive waste into co-products for use in animal feeds, functional ingredients, packaging, and biogas. Through extensive research and real-world demonstrations, OLIWA will validate the feasibility and sustainability of these circular solutions, aiming to reduce environmental impact while creating new economic opportunities.
The research will explore innovative applications such as the use of olive by-products in insect rearing to produce high-quality insect meals for animal feed, the development of natural olive extracts as feed additives and functional ingredients, and the creation of sustainable food packaging materials derived from olive waste and insect-based components to improve food preservation and reduce losses. Additionally, the project will investigate the production of biogas from olive waste and animal or insect manure as an alternative energy source.
AIMPLAS’ role in OLIWA project is to study processability of materials derived from olive waste in conventional technologies as extrusion to obtain rigid packaging prototypes. Beverages bottles and food trays prototypes will be obtained, and its functionality will be validated. Also, AIMPLAS will study heat-sealing capability of films from olive waste as a lid for trays.
OLIWA also aims to achieve a minimum 25% reduction in food losses and waste, aligning with broader sustainability targets and contributing to the resilience of the Mediterranean agri-food sector. Funded under the PRIMA Programme, the project represents a significant step toward a more sustainable and innovative olive industry in the region by turning agricultural waste into high-value applications and fostering a circular economic model.