The Innovation Award “Bio-based Material of the Year” will be granted on May the 15th. This award is given to a company that is active in bio-based chemicals and materials industry. This award rewards companies who found suitable applications and markets for bio-based products. The focus is on new developments meaning that the product must have been launched in 2018 or will be launched in 2019. Here are the 6 final nominations:
COMPANY – Aakar Innovations Pvt. Ltd.
PRODUCT – Anandi Eco+ – 100% Compostable Sanitary Pads
Anandi Eco+ is the first only Govt. of India lab certified 100% compostable sanitary pads which becomes part of soil & manure within 90 – 180 days in composting conditions as well as in nature depending on conditions.
These pads can be disposed easily in the backward mud pit of any rural household without polluting the environment & creating biomanure for agriculture.
They also use jute, bagasse, banana fibre, water hyacinth to make sanitary pads, i.e. using local resources to reduce cost & use of agri-plant waste materials.
Anandi pads do not use any harmful chemicals like SAP or plastics and converts into manure post disposal, therefore saving the environment in a huge way. It also follows the Compostable American Standard ASTM 6400 & European Standard EN 13432. Aakar fulfil 12 out of 17 SDGs of UN through their work. www.aakarinnovations.com
COMPANY – CARBIOLICE SAS
PRODUCT – EVANESTO® – Zero Impact PLAstic Using Enzymes
CARBIOLICE has developed a disruptive solution based on an innovative technology using enzymes to speed up compostability and biodegradability of PLA plastics.
Developed as an additive, EVANESTO® can be used on conventional plastic transforming processes without adaptation. This innovative additive is best suited for applications such as single-use plastics, in which compostability and biodegradability are a meaningful end-of-life. It can be used to make products that are 100% compostable & biodegradable.
EVANESTO® performance has been successfully demonstrated on thin films and sheets, by tests performed by OWS under domestic composting conditions according to NF T51-800. Ready to reach the market in early 2020, EVANESTO® is intended for various uses such as bags, packaging, disposable tableware etc. www.carbiolice.com
COMPANY – Golden Compound GmbH
PRODUCT – HOMEcap – Home Compostable Capsule
HOMEcap is the world’s first and only home compostable capsule successfully introduced in the market which is “OK compost HOME” certified and is made with natural fibers of the sunflower seed hull. It is made from a unique compound comprising PTTMCCs, PBS and PBSA mixed with sunflower seed shells and inorganic fillers. It comes with a paper and cellulose based lid, which is sealable to the capsule without any additional glue, and of course the lid is home compostable as well. The material composition results in excellent oxygen transmission rates making an additional barrier packaging redundant and therefore saves even more waste. A VDI 4605 sustainability assessment showed that this capsule outperforms current state of the art capsules like deep drawn PP EVOH multilayer capsules. www.golden-compound.com
COMPANY – Scion – New Zealand Forest Research Institute Ltd.
PRODUCT – Ligate Adhesive Technology
Scion’s LIGATE™ bio-adhesive technology from 100% bio-based and sustainably grown products, including lignin, tannin and protein. It can be used to manufacture engineered wood products that do not emit volatile organic compounds like formaldehyde and that have reduced life cycle impacts compared to products made using traditional petrochemical adhesives. Water-based, non-toxic ligate adhesives are compatible with existing adhesive and panel board manufacturing equipment. Unlike other biobased adhesives, Scion’s resin does not just replace petrochemical-based components but incorporates bioinspired chemistry approaches in a scalable and very simple way to deliver a product that performs and is environmentally friendly. www.scionresearch.com
COMPANY – Spinnova Oy
PRODUCT – Spinnova – Sustainable Cellulose-Based Textile Fibre
Spinnova is a Finnish, sustainable fibre company that develops ecological breakthrough technology for manufacturing cellulose-based textile fibre. Spinnova’s patented technology includes 0% harmful chemicals and 0% waste or side streams, making the fibre and the production method the most sustainable in the world. The biggest difference to other man-made cellulosic fibres is that there is no dissolving involved in the process. Spinnova’s raw material commitment is to only use FSC certified wood or waste streambased cellulose. Spinnova’s objective is to globally commercialize the fibre products in collaboration with major textile brands. www.spinnova.com
COMPANY – Stora Enso
PRODUCT – Lineo™ – Alternative for Petrolium-Based Products
Making up 20-30% of wood’s composition, lignin is often discarded or burned during the pulp production process. However, when extracted and converted, lignin could transform the way we use natural resources to make products. In 2018, Stora Enso launched Lineo™, a renewable, wood-based, nontoxic alternative to fossil-based materials. Lineo™, Stora Enso’s lignin, can be used to replace oil-based phenolic materials in a range of applications, such as in resins for plywood, oriented strand board (OSB), laminated veneer lumber (LVL), paper lamination and insulation material. Stora Enso continues to research new Lineo™ applications and is currently focused on researching its use in formaldehyde-free binders, carbon fibre and energy storage. www.storaenso.com
Procedure
- First stage: until end of February 2019
Producers and inventors of innovative bio-based materials are invited to hand in a completed application form (closed!) of the product in English including printable digital pictures (300 dpi), which are free of use in our subsequent media publicity. The documents should explain the particular aspects of the innovation and when it was launched on the market. It is also necessary to submit a sample of the product (or a small material sample if the product is too unhandy).
- Second stage: Mid of March
A jury consisting of representatives of the nova-Institute, the advisory board, sponsors and partners of the conference will nominate the outstanding “Top 6” applicants prior to the conference. After the jury has selected the “Top 6” candidates among the applicants, their application documents will be made available for download from the conference website to provide our audience and other interested individuals a first glimpse of these innovations.
- Third stage: At the conference (15-16 May 2019)
In a short 10-minute presentation, each one of the six companies will introduce its innovation on the first day of the conference (on 15 May, 2019). Following the presentations, the audience will choose the three winners, who will be presented with their awards at the Innovation Award Ceremony (likewise on 15 May 2019, in the evening). The “Top 6” will present their innovations in a shared exhibition space provided by the nova-Institute. Additionally there is the option to book your own exhibition space. All winners and their innovations will be highlighted in the subsequent media coverage.
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