CLIC RECYCLE Completes the 3rd Edition of StartBEC with AINIA

On 17 September 2026, CLIC RECYCLE joined the StartBEC 2026 DemoDay at AINIA in Paterna, Valencia, marking the conclusion of the third edition of the programme. The event brought together the seven participating startups, companies, investors, public institutions and other actors from the bioeconomy and agri-food innovation ecosystem to present the technological progress achieved throughout the programme. 

For CLIC RECYCLE, the DemoDay was an opportunity to present two areas of our work: CLIC TERRA, our regenerative material for sustainable agriculture, and CLIC ARCHI, our new line of flame-retardant biomaterials for construction 

CLIC TERRA: From Hair Waste to Regenerative Agriculture 

Hair + industrial hemp → a regenerative material designed to replace plastic CLIC TERRA explores the potential of combining discarded human hair with hemp to create a biobased material for agricultural applications, offering an alternative to conventional plastic solutions The need for alternatives is particularly relevant in agriculture, where large quantities of plastic are used for applications such as soil mulching. At the same time, discarded hair remains an underutilised resource. Around 2.2 billion kg of hair are estimated to end up in landfills, where organic decomposition generates methane, while incineration also produces greenhouse gas emissions. Plastic mulch presents another environmental challenge. An estimated 20 million hectares of agricultural land use plastic mulch, with LDPE potentially leaving hundreds of kilograms of microplastics per hectare. CLIC TERRA aims to address these two waste streams through a different approach: turning waste into erative resource while reducing dependence on conventional plastics.

CLIC ARCHI: Developing Natural Flame-Retardant Biomaterials 

During the DemoDay, we also presented CLIC ARCHI, a new product line focused on using our biomaterial in construction applications. As part of our work with AINIA, we developed our non-woven material with a 100% naturally sourced flame-retardant treatment, without halogens or synthetic flame retardants. The results obtained during the development process showed that:

• All tested formulations improved flame resistance compared with the untreated base material.
• A formulation combining montmorillonite and alginate achieved a comparable improvement using four times less additive, improving both material efficiency and potential cost efficiency.
• The formulations rely on natural-origin components, opening further possibilities for biobased applications in architecture and construction.

This development represents another step in exploring how discarded materials can be transformed into functional, higher-value biomaterials for new sectors.

The StartBEC Journey

StartBEC, promoted by AINIA and co-funded by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA), supports startups developing innovative technologies and new value chains within the bioeconomy.

Throughout the programme, CLIC RECYCLE had the opportunity to develop its solutions within a network of startups, researchers, companies and industry experts. The DemoDay brought this process together through presentations, networking, discussions on biotechnology and industrial scaling, and a showcase of bioeconomy innovations.

For CLIC RECYCLE, this experience reinforces our commitment to transforming waste into new resources and developing circular, bio-based solutions.

We thank AINIA and the StartBEC team for the support, knowledge, and collaboration throughout the programme, and look forward to taking these developments into the next stages.