Our member nova-Institut GmbH has recently announced the winners of the “Renewable Material of the Year 2023”, honouring pioneering solutions that contribute to the vital cause of reducing fossil carbon emissions and safeguarding our environment.
🥇 First Winner: KUORI – Bio-based and Biodegradable Elastic Materials by KUORI (CH) KUORI is revolutionising the market by developing and producing bio-based and biodegradable elastic materials. By utilising food waste such as banana peels and nutshells, they offer sustainable alternatives to conventional elastic materials. The first application of their innovation is in shoe soles, enabling shoe producers to create products that avoid the accumulation of persistent microplastics. These materials can be fully reintegrated into the biological cycle through industrial composting, paving the way for a circular business model.
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🥈 Second Winner: Carbon-Light Yeast Oil by COLIPI (DE) Colipi is at the forefront of innovation with their pioneering bioprocesses for transforming CO₂ into sustainable carbon-light alternatives to plant oils. Their patented gas fermentation bioreactor, powered by CO₂-utilising microorganisms, unlocks the potential for carbohydrate-rich biomass production. This biomass serves as feedstock for heterotrophic fermentations, resulting in yeast oil with composition equivalent to plant oils.
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🥉 Third Winner: traceless® – Plastic-Free Natural Polymer by traceless materials (DE) traceless materials® represents a new generation of plastic-free natural polymer materials, surpassing the limitations of bio-based or biodegradable plastics. Derived from plant residues in the agricultural industry, traceless® contains 100% bio-based carbon content, supporting the transition from fossil fuels to renewables. It offers a toxic-free and climate-friendly solution with significantly reduced CO₂ emissions during production and disposal compared to conventional plastics. With scalable and efficient production technology, traceless® saves an average of 83% of fossil energy demand. The granulate form of traceless® serves as a base material for a wide range of applications, including rigid products, flexible films, coatings, and adhesives.
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