As Artur Sobolewski, expert at PRO CIVIS further explains: Bio4HUMAN did not limit itself to the quite obvious catalogue of products (like one dimensional plant-based packaging items) and technologies (black soldier flies) and tried to look for innovative “out of box” ideas, often still at the lower TRL, like “starch-based biopolymer active and intelligent food packaging” or “polystyrene-consuming lesser mealworm”. A broader horizontal perspective to solid waste management in the humanitarian context has also been applied, resulting in putting on the list ideas such as biodegradable mulching spray limiting the periodic and frequent replacement of plastic films being commonly used in agriculture.

The important steps of establishing the final version of the list of bio-based solutions were the internal and external consultation processes. Especially the open webinar organized by Enspire Science, which attracted participation of regional and international humanitarian organizations, contributed substantively to the final set-up of recommended products and technologies.

During the workshop, representatives of humanitarian organizations evaluated the potential applicability, functionality, and efficiency of the proposed products in the humanitarian context. The technologies have been mostly evaluated according to transferability to humanitarian destinations and the feasibility of the technological implementation and operation.

Marie Šmídová Skálová – humanitarian advisor from People in Need emphasizes: We as Bio4HUMAN consortium received very valuable feedback. It was good to get to know the actual willingness of the different humanitarian organisations to include the proposed solutions to their supply chains and to hear their thoughts about the policies and market mechanisms needed for incentivizing such inclusions.

For Beata Dolińska – global head of programs from Polish Humanitarian Action, the possibility of evaluating the potential interest in establishing the production locally and of naming the attributes of given technologies to form part of a development component to the humanitarian intervention, especially in the protracted crisis/recovery phases were of particular value.

An interesting and not obvious perspective on the proposed solutions was expressed by the Bio4HUMAN Ethics Advisory Board and Internal Ethics Officer. The issue of potentially overharvesting seaweed and disrupting marine ecosystems while delivering on the seaweed-based packaging, and the concern of growing bio-feedstock on arable land for production of laminating films and PLA bottles, which may potentially compete with food production, are just two examples of the substantive and broadly understood ethical observations.

Summing up the whole scoping exercises, Tadeusz Pęczek – CEO of PRO CIVIS points out to the final results: The entities responsible for this particular Project’s activity delivered a good result. The final List of 27 bio-based products and technologies comprises solutions contributing strongly to a more circular bioeconomy and exercising features of renewability, recyclability, biodegradability, compostability and sustainability. There are bio-based solutions with functional properties comparable to those of their fossil-based counterparts. They allow for durable applications and a reduction in the use of material. The list includes innovative, patented, and certified products and technologies with the potential to make an impact on the solid waste management connected to humanitarian interventions.