EMBA European Material Bank®’s Post

There are many reasons why I believe that #Hemp has a huge potential in all areas of a #circular #economy. Here are just 5. 1. Carbon Footprint Reduction: Hemp cultivation captures up to 22 tonnes of CO2 per hectare, significantly higher than the CO2 absorption capacity of forests on equivalent land areas. 2. Biodiversity Enhancement: Unlike monoculture tree plantations, hemp supports diverse ecosystems, improving soil health and fostering a range of wildlife habitats. 3. Superior Yield: Hemp produces up to four times more cellulose per hectare than forests, presenting an efficient alternative to traditional wood cellulose. 4. Deforestation Impact: Opting for hemp cellulose significantly reduces the demand on forests, contributing to the prevention of deforestation and the preservation of natural habitats. 5. Processing Efficiency: HempPulp® processing avoids the thermo-chemical treatments typically required for wood cellulose, reducing energy consumption and environmental pollution. 🚀 New Generation of Molded Fiber Packaging:

🌱 We are beyond excited to share this journey with all of you! This partnership marks a pivotal moment not only for PAPACKS but for the global packaging industry and our planet. 🌍 By bridging three continents through this unique project, we are set to revolutionize the supply chain with HempPulp® - a sustainable, eco-friendly alternative to traditional packaging materials. 🔄 Our collaboration with EMBA European Material Bank® empowers us to deliver a comprehensive solution encompassing technology, production, and distribution, ensuring a seamless transition towards sustainability. 🤝 This initiative is a significant step forward in reducing the ecological footprint of the packaging industry, and it underlines our commitment to innovation, environmental responsibility, and global cooperation. 💚 Together, we're not just changing the industry; we're investing in a greener future for our planet. Let's make sustainable packaging the standard, not the exception. #SustainablePackaging #EcoFriendly #Innovation #GlobalPartnership #HempPulp packaging journal Sustainable Packaging News Packaging Europe Ukrainian Hemp® EMBA European Material Bank® Tahsin Dag Michael Marchuk European Commission

Exciting innovation alert! 🌱 A new line of products is paving the way for sustainable farming practices with natural hemp fiber products. By using 100% natural ingredients, including waste from industrial hemp, they are creating a circular and eco-friendly solution for growing microgreens, plants, and vegetables. The Hemp Grow Mats, made from the fibrous byproduct of the industrial hemp plant, are revolutionizing indoor farming. These mats are biodegradable, lightweight, and perfect for growing microgreens, wheatgrass, and more. Plus, with high water retention capabilities, seeds stay moist for successful germination. Not only are these hemp grow mats versatile for indoor use, but they are also ideal for hydroponic systems like vertical farming. The mats facilitate easy germination and maintenance of microgreens, making the process hassle-free for both beginners and experienced gardeners. With pH-neutral, lightweight, and water-retentive properties, these grow mats offer numerous advantages for growers. They are not only biodegradable and compostable but also contribute to carbon capture, making them a sustainable choice for environmentally conscious farmers. Join the "new hemp economy" mission towards a CO2 zero emission society by incorporating their innovative hemp fiber products in your farming practices. Let's grow green together! 🌿 #SustainableFarming #HempGrowMats #Innovation

CIRCULAR ECONOMY in GREENHOUSE CULTIVATION From Nov. 28, 2023 to Feb. 4, 2024, Antifemo and ISPAAM CNR (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche) led the project sponsored by the Municipality of Vittoria (Sicily) to implement circular economy best practices in the local greenhouse industry. The territory of Vittoria is home to about 4,000 hectares of horticultural and floristic greenhouses, to which must be added the overlooking greenhouses of the neighboring municipalities of Gela, Acate and Comiso, making this area the highest presence of greenhouses in Italy. Rapid enhanced composting (REC) technology using the NP-bioTech bio-catalytic process has shown amazing results. After only 12 days of the catalytic aerobic process, the mixture, consisting of explanted tomato plants, peppers and tomatoes, was perfectly biostabilized. After 20 days of the process, the presence of pathogens and the level of biostabilization was below the detection limit of the method. NP-bioTech catalytic composting is a viable circular economy solution to appropriate management of agricultural greenhouse waste. #CircularEconomy #NPbioTech #Antifemo

"When buying in bulk, growers can make the investment back in 1-2 years" Moving away from substrates comes with its benefits... "There are other substrate alternatives on the market which claim reusability. However, it's important to note that these products cannot easily be reused, often because it's too difficult or time-consuming to clean or the processing required is too costly. Therefore, unfortunately, these products lose the cost-benefit of reusability if becoming sustainable costs growers, they won't do it," says Marcus C., Founder and CEO of GyroPlant. Gyroplant is the creator of the GyroCup is a substrate alternative because of its reusability. This instantly eliminates the need to buy in new substrates every harvest, with all the carbon emissions created by processing virgin products, delivering them (mostly internationally), and disposing of them at end-of-life. https://lnkd.in/edy2PwGx

📍 Today, I'm in sunny and beautiful Coimbra with Lidia Garrote Moral and Francisco Jesús Infante Pérez at Biotrend SA facilities, proudly representing CARTIF at the ELLIPSE Project monitoring meeting. 🌍 ELLIPSE Project aims to valorize two major European waste streams - slaughterhouse waste (rumen content) and paper pulp sludge - to cost-effectively produce PHAs for agriculture and personal care while coprocessing other organic wastes like dairy sludge and glycerol. 🌿 This innovative biorefinery approach will reduce landfill waste and create bio-based fertilizers, while advancing the circular economy through new avenues for platform chemicals and bioplastics. 🌱 Let's unlock sustainable solutions together! #Biorefinery #CircularEconomy #Sustainability #WasteToValue"

🌿 **Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Agriculture: On-Site Composting of Bio Twine** 🌱 The recent studies from the LIFE BioTHOP project and research by Wageningen University & Research (WUR) have proven that the **Elite Bio Twine** from Lankhorst Yarns, made of PLA (polylactic acid), can be effectively composted on-site! 🌾 This is a game-changer for sustainable farming practices, especially for hop growers and other agricultural sectors looking to reduce their plastic waste. **Key Findings:** ✅ **Successful On-Site Composting:** When properly managed, PLA Bio Twine breaks down into CO₂, water, and organic matter within a compost pile. This means farmers can now compost the twine directly on their farms, reducing waste and closing the nutrient cycle! ♻️ ✅ **Optimal Composting Conditions:** The studies showed that cutting the twine into smaller pieces (<5 cm) and maintaining pile temperatures above 45°C while turning the pile regularly ensures efficient decomposition. The whole process takes about seven months to fully break down, leaving no harmful residue. ✅ **Adjustments for Better Performance:** While the PLA twine is currently optimized for industrial composting, the BioTHOP project is exploring modifications to enhance its on-site composting efficiency, making it even more suitable for real-world farming environments. This is an exciting step towards sustainable agriculture, helping farmers manage their waste more effectively while contributing to a healthier environment. 🌍 For more information, check out the full details at the LIFE BioTHOP project https://lnkd.in/dXjMJRQb and IntechOpen's study on hop biomass composting https://lnkd.in/dPuvNBAA. #Sustainability #BioTwine #Composting #CircularEconomy #AgricultureInnovation #SustainableFarming #PLA #Lankhorstyarns #Wireco

From Crab Shells to Batteries: The Future of Sustainable Energy Today, I discovered something truly fascinating. As a lover of crab meat, particularly the delectable blue crabs from Italy that were served to King Charles during his state visit to France, I was thrilled to learn that waste from these crabs, specifically their shells, can be used to create batteries. Researchers have developed innovative methods to use chitosan, a compound derived from chitin found in crab shells, to produce biodegradable and sustainable battery components. Key Points: Chitosan as an Electrolyte: Chitosan, derived from chitin in crab shells, has been utilized to create a biodegradable gel electrolyte for zinc-ion batteries. This electrolyte can decompose entirely within five months, offering a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional lithium-ion batteries, which use non-biodegradable materials. Advantages Over Lithium-Ion Batteries: • Abundance and Cost: Zinc is more abundant and cheaper than lithium. • Safety: Zinc-ion batteries are generally safer as they use water-based electrolytes, reducing flammability and corrosion risks. • Efficiency: These batteries have demonstrated high efficiency, maintaining 99.7% energy efficiency over 1,000 charge cycles, making them ideal for renewable energy storage applications like wind and solar power. Environmental Impact: • Waste Reduction: Utilizing crab shell waste reduces the environmental burden of seafood waste disposal. Millions of tons of crab, shrimp, and lobster shells are discarded annually and can now be repurposed into valuable battery materials. • Biodegradability: The biodegradable nature of these batteries means they can break down safely in the environment, leaving behind recyclable zinc and minimizing long-term environmental impact. Research and Development: Researchers at institutions such as the University of Maryland and the University of Houston are leading the charge in developing and refining this technology, aiming to make all components of these batteries biodegradable and eco-friendly. In conclusion, transforming blue crab waste into battery technology is a significant step toward more sustainable and environmentally friendly energy storage solutions. #SustainableEnergy #CrabShellBatteries #RenewableEnergy #EcoFriendly #Innovation #GreenTechnology #BlueCrabs #Biodegradable #EnergyStorage

Modiform B.V. is taking a major step forward in its ambition to minimise the use of fossil-based virgin plastics thanks to the new partnership with Solinatra.   Made by Modiform using Solinatra® material, these fully natural, plant-based pots offer growers a 100% natural, fossil and PFAS-free, cold soil compostable solution. After the cultivation period they can be planted straight into soil with the plants, where they biodegrade. The Modiform natural pots with Solinatra have been successfully tested in commercial nurseries for the production of garden and indoor plants and leafy greens.   Solinatra and Modiform are a perfect match: plant-based pots for sustainable plants! This partnership signifies a huge reduction in CO2 emissions. Modiform and Solinatra believe that transparency and deep insights into footprint calculations will help them and their customers to make better decisions, together with their partners.   Click here to read the full press release: https://lnkd.in/et4MqJ_N #Solinatra #MakesItAlright #Modiform #MaterialTransition #Horticulture #Floriculture

Can Industrial Hemp Play a Role in Building Meaningful Carbon in the Soil? At Hemp Carbon Standard (HCS), we are dedicated to harnessing the power of industrial hemp to drive carbon sequestration and enhance regenerative agriculture practices. As more industries recognize the importance of building sustainable ecosystems, industrial hemp is emerging as a key crop with exceptional potential for carbon removal and soil regeneration. By integrating hemp cultivation with regenerative practices such as cover cropping, reduced tillage, and diversified crop rotations, we can significantly increase the amount of carbon stored in soil. The hemp plant’s deep root systems enhance soil structure, boost microbial activity, and contribute to long-term soil health, ensuring carbon is not just captured—but stored for years to come. Why Hemp? Industrial hemp stands out due to its ability to: 1. Capture CO2 efficiently through photosynthesis. 2. Improve soil health by building organic matter and retaining moisture. 3. Support biodiversity and reduce the need for synthetic inputs. At HCS, we are collaborating with leading stakeholders across the biochar, carbon credit, and agriculture sectors to scale hemp’s carbon impact. Together, we are creating a reliable and measurable system for carbon credits, empowering industries to offset their emissions while supporting sustainable farming. The intersection of hemp and regenerative agriculture isn't just good for the planet—it’s a scalable solution to build healthier soils, reduce carbon in the atmosphere, and create a profitable path forward for farmers. #CarbonSequestration #Hemp #RegenerativeAgriculture #SoilHealth #CarbonCredits #ClimateAction #HempCarbonStandard