TomaPaint: Case Study from the Rapid Acceleration of Climate Entrepreneurship (RACE) pilot project

The Rapid Acceleration of Climate Entrepreneurship (RACE) pilot project was launched by EIT- Climate-KIC and the European Innovation Council (EIC). Its purpose is to enhance Europe's innovation portfolios supporting European Green Deal goals. Those goals are as follows:
-Supplying clean, affordable and secure energy,
–Mobilizing industry for a clean and circular economy
-Building and renovating in an energy and resource-efficient way
–A zero pollution ambition for a toxic-free environment
-Preserving and restoring ecosystems and biodiversity
-Farm to Fork: a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food system
-Accelerating the shift to sustainable and smart mobility
-Pursuing green finance and investment and ensuring a just transition
 
All start-ups had already joined the EIC Accelerator and were at a higher level of maturity.
Case Studies were published, featuring 9 start-ups in the RACE project, of which TomaPaint.
 
The Italian start-up TomaPaint Srl was founded in 2019 in Parma. Its core business is the industrialization and commercialization of a natural bio-resin obtained from tomato processing by-products (mainly skins, which contains 'cutin'). This bio-resin will then be used to produce a bio-lacquer, which can be applied on the internal and external surfaces of metal cans for foodstuffs. It can therefore be substituted to the traditional petroleum-based lacquers.
 
The geographical are (Parma) is responsible for 50% of Italy's tomato waste, so it is the perfect spot for local use of tomato processing by-products. Those by-products can even be used again to produce bio-gas.
 
Producing TomaPaint bio-resin does not require bisphenol A (BPA), unlike petroleum-based resins. After eight years of research and testing, it is safe to say that this bio-resin is comparable in effect to those used in standard canning lacquers, even over time, and in some cases is more effective.
 
The global canning industry is expected to grow and reach $34.86 billion by 2026, making part of a huge secondary market for petrochemicals.
Most of the petroleum-based linings contain BPA, which is already widely banned in the food industry.
Steel cans can, where washed and sorted properly, be almost endlessly recycled.
The results of the study show that TomaPaint has the potential to save around 21 tonnes of CO₂ eq for every tonne of bio-resin used.
Due to all these factors, there is a high probability that TomaPaint has the capacity to replace petrochemicals and BPA-based resins in the food canning industry. 
 
Sources:
Climate Kic Website
TomaPaint Website
For more info on the Case Study