The aim of the LEAP project is to develop the next generation of advanced functional packaging that incorporates the biomass of non-native invasive plants and enables the production of new high- performance packaging solutions. The project focuses on the problem of industrial packaging of heavier industrial products, for which there are currently no alternatives to EPS packaging. The project is therefore necessary as it focuses on sustainable transition to circular economy based on biodegradability, reducing the consumption of raw material resources and at the same time addressing the problem of recycling waste from non-native invasive plants (Directive (EU) 2019/904).

The participating partners demonstrate a diversified structure, so that the strategic development-innovation partnership within the project will covers all sides of the knowledge triangle: UL, FS (coordinator) as an educational and research institution, ICP and SINTEF as a top research institution and GORENJE with SUROVINA as a representative of industry. The Norwegian partner SINTEF is a leading research institution for sustainable development. In this project, they will perform a bottom-up simplified LCA using technology-specific data from all project partners which will show the changes in indirect emissions in the upstream value chains. It will also perform a knowledge transfer to Norway and Nordic countries.