It’s going to be a little bit different this year, but the competition is still on, says nova- Institute, who yesterday announced the six finalists who had made the cut.
Highly satisfied after the experience of hosting its first online conference in March, the institute has announced that the International Conference on Bio-based Materials, scheduled for 12-13 May, will continue as planned – with one difference. Because of the strict travel and other restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the conference will now take place with - also as usual - the conference participants electing the winners of the innovation award - completely online.
Due to the change in format, the final programme of what will be the thirteenth edition of the conference will not be available until after Easter. Every year, the Bio-based Material of the Year innovation award is awarded to the most innovative material and product introduced over the past year on the market.
The six nominees competing for this year’s award were selected out of a field of 17 candidates by the members of the advisory board. The three winners will be chosen by an online poll at the end of the first conference day by the participants of the conference.
This year’s prizes are sponsored by YNCORIS Industrial Services (Hürth).
The shortlisted finalists are, in no particular order:
- Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC (Germany): Fraunhofer ISC has developed a functional barrier coating for packaging called bioORMOCER, that is bio-based and compostable and uses bioorganic structures from green waste or chitosan.
- Huhtamaki Lurgan (UK/Finland): Fresh is a fully bio-based and biodegradable, fibre-based ready meal packaging developed by Huhtamaki, Saladworks (UK), and Södra (SE) through a BBI JU funded Horizon 2020 project. As an alternative to black plastic packaging, it is easier to recycle and certified for home composting. The tray is food-safe, and is both oven proof and microwavable. The trays are produced in Northern Ireland by Huhtamaki Lurgan.
- LAM'ON (Bulgaria): LAM’ON is a 100% biodegradable laminating film for print and packaging, derived from renewable plant resources. The non-toxic glue layer, developed specifically for the needs of the industry, is water-soluble to ease the recycling process. The production method is simplified in a way that saves time and money. LAM'ON is competitive in price and properties to conventional films, and is processable on conventional machines.
- Mondi Engineered Materials (Austria): Mondi’s new Carded Airlaid Carded (CAC) line allows for the production of a fully biodegradable 100% cellulose nonwoven for wipes that behaves like classic spun lace. The CAC line makes it possible to combine three layers into a highly functional and stable composite material in-line. The new CAC line will be operational in beginning of 2021.
- monta Klebebandwerk (Germany): monta biopack is the first certified sustainable self-adhesive tape made in Germany. Made from about 90% renewable resources, its carrier is a bio-based PLA film that is coated with a natural rubber adhesive. Certified by TÜV Austria, the tape has earned the “OK COMPOST INDUSTRIAL” label and will biodegrade within a few months under industrial composting conditions. monta biopack meets the requirements on disintegration (composting), biodegradation, ecotoxicity and material characteristics of EN 13432, ASTM D 6400-04, AS 4736 (2006) and ISO 17088.
- TENSAC (Argentina): ESTEN 80 is a bio-based, biodegradable insecticide and acaricide that works in direct contact with the insects. The main ingredients are fatty acids derived from vegetable oils and sucrose. ESTEN 80 is especially indicated for application in citrus (e.g. lemon, orange), grape, tomato, horticultural crops, strawberry, blueberry, apple, pear, peach, tobacco, tea, olives and walnuts.