By ‘A disruptive solution to pollution’: introducing edible packaging
An alternative to plastic that can be composted (and even eaten) has won an innovation award
So there you are, unpacking your groceries and silently cursing at the amount of plastic wrap you throw out for recycling. Typical, huh? And tedious too.
Now fast forward a few years: the plastic is still there, some of it, anyway, but now you happily toss it into the compost bin, safe in the knowledge that in a few weeks it will be in your garden or the council’s. parks, doing nothing but good. Hell, you can even eat it too, if you want.
Sound like a dream? Not one bit. Thanks to the innovative brilliance of a young German woman, that’s a more than plausible vision of the future. Dr. Anne Lamp (pictured below) has designed a system to transform agricultural waste into a variety of plastics, which in turn can be safely reintegrated into the food supply chain. The process can reduce carbon emissions by 87 percent compared to conventional plastics production, and it also promises to compete on price.
Dr. Anne Lamp has designed a system to transform agricultural waste into a range of plastics.
Combining his engineering expertise with his passion for a ‘cradle to cradle’ life cycle, Lamp has launched a new company, Without a trace, to commercialize the idea. It is already attracting a lot of interest from potential customers, eager to respond to the growing demand to reduce plastic waste, in addition to satisfying the EU ban on some single-use plastics, which goes into effect this year.
It is an achievement that Traceless has won this year. Green Alley Award. Recognize and celebrate startups that are successfully demonstrating the potential of the circular economy. The awards were founded in 2014 by Jan Patrick Schulz, CEO of the Landbell Group, a global provider of chemical and environmental compliance solutions.
As Schulz says: “We want to promote business models that combine resource conservation with economic success. [in a] holistic and bio-circular approach. ”Traceless epitomized that goal, he added.
Traceless makes plastic that you can happily dump in the compost bin. Image: Traceless
This year’s awards attracted 189 entries from startups in 30 countries. After careful scrutiny, these were narrowed down to six finalists, each of whom was presented directly to a panel of expert judges in a lively virtual awards ceremony. what can be seen here. Together with Traceless, each of the finalists brought a promising circular solution to the table.
2021 Green Alley Award Finalists
Carbonauten it has set itself the task of turning wood waste into valuable substitutes for plastic, ensuring that carbon is safely sequestered while doing so.
Image: Antoine Rault
Dimpora has designed eco-friendly breathable membranes for active outdoor use.
Image: Kelly Repreza
Elegant converts some of the large amount of garments that go to waste each year into clean and eco-friendly substitutes for oil-based thermoplastics.
Image: Duy Hoang
Resync seeks to play a vital role in matching supply and demand in the B2B recycling space.
Image: Bas Emmen
TrusTrace is a new digital platform that helps shed light on the often opaque world of the fashion supply chain.
Image: Waldemar Brandt
The Green Alley Award will return in 2022. The application phase runs from September 14 to November 23, 2021. The judges are calling for startups in the circular economy space to participate. Visit the Green Alley Award website for more details.
Martin Wright is President of Positive News and a Green Alley Award Judge
Lead Image: Nadja R
