The project


The majority of materials used in the building and construction sector are heavily dependent on fossil-based synthetic ingredients, making them significant contributors to CO2 emissions globally and EU-wide. These materials are often incinerated or disposed of in landfills, causing environmental degradation.

Bio-fibre composites, combining natural fibres (including wood-fibers) with synthetic, petrol-based resins, offer a partial alternative to energy-intensive materials like concrete and steel. However, their environmental benefits are limited by their reliance on fossil-based components.RE-Fibre aims to revolutionize this landscape by designing high-performance, fully renewable, and recyclable wood and plant fibre materials.

Main Drivers

Smart, high-performance, 100% renewable and recyclable wood and plant fibre materials with high durability and excellent structural modularity that close the carbon cycle in material design. By integrating innovative approaches in green chemistry and material science, RE-Fibre seeks to address challenges in disassembly, functionalization, and reassembly of plant biomass. This holistic strategy maximizes renewable carbon retention, introduces recyclability on demand, and meets industrial performance standards.

Research Objectives

RE-Fibre has identified key research objectives to achieve its goals:

  • RO1: Smart reactive fractionation/disassembly of lignocellulosic plant residues (and end-of-life composite materials) to provide cellulose and functionalized lignins suitable for further facile functionalization.
  • RO2: The development of a green “click-on” functionalization platform that allows for the introduction of functionalities for property modulation and of reversible chemical bonds/linkages, thereby enabling recyclability on demand.
  • RO3: Strategic reassembly of functional individual components (modified lignin and cellulose fibre) to obtain high performing and recyclable composite materials, and rational design of desired properties.
  • RO4: Development of the best practices for multi-scale and multi-level structural analysis of the molecules and materials involved in all stages of disassembly-functionalization-assembly AND sustainability assessment.

Through a multidisciplinary program, RE-Fibre will train 11 Doctoral Candidates (DCs) to become future leaders in sustainability-focused industries, aligning with Europe’s defossilization and Green Deal objectives.