Implementation
A step-by-step guide on how we plan to implement our project into the real world.
Did you know that the production of olive oil comes with a consequence?
It generates vast amounts of a toxic by-product...
Olive Oil Mill Wastewater (OMW)
Greece ranks as the 3rd largest olive oil producer globally, contributing to 18% of the world's total olive oil production.
In Thessaly, by engaging with local olive oil producers we learned that there is a significant need for a universally acceptable solution for managing OMW.
Committed to discovering the optimal solution, we embarked on a journey of continuous dialogue and interaction with olive oil producers, experts, and the general public.
Our purpose was to actively engage with all stakeholders, drawing upon their insights to shape our project in alignment with our core values.
Our
solution
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oPHAelia
oPHAelia is
Innovative
Sustainable
Cost-effective
The Future
Sustainable
Cost-effective
The Future
oPHAelia is inspired from the ancient Greek word ὠφέλεια, meaning aid or benefit. Our mission with oPHAelia is to go beyond detoxifying OMW, actively valorizing it for the production of Polyhydroxyalkanoates, or for short: PHAs. PHAs are a family of biodegradable polyesters that highly resemble synthetic plastics, offering a promising solution to the global plastic pollution crisis.
But how is this possible?
With the help of two powerful bacteria, we constructed a synthetic consortium, capable of detoxifying OMW and producing our valuable product.
Pseudomonas putida
Escherichia coli
free fatty acids, acetic acid
Metabolize: arabinose, xylose, galactose,
polyphenolic compounds
Produce: free fatty acids, acetic acid
Why produce PHAs?
19-23 million tonnes of plastic leaks into aquatic ecosystems annually - from lakes to rivers to seas.
9.2 billion tonnes. That is the total amount of plastic estimated to have been made between 1950 and 2017.
Of all the plastic discarded so far, only less than 10% has been recycled.
In Greece, 11.5 thousand tonnes of plastic waste finds its way into the Greek sea every year.
2 Significant Problems
One Elegant Solution
Education
"Planting the seeds of a sustainable tomorrow". Check out our educational outreach.
Entrepreneurship
"From Waste to Wealth". Explore our vision for a sustainable future.