Past Achievements and Work
Alchemia-nova was awarded!
In december 2007, Hanswerner Mackwitz, leader of alchemia-nova, was awarded with the ÖGUT environment award for the project „Bio-Cascading Fruit Stones“.
Secretary of research Christa Kranzel from BMVIT (left), Prof. Hanswerner Mackwitz (Middle) and environmental and agricultural minister Josef Pröll
HELICAS (EU-Project)
In this two year long research proyect, many new innovative uses of the sunflower plant were researched. The focus was on using all the parts of the plant (stems, leaves, flowers, presscake, etc) for higher level valua adding applications.
Further information click here.
LOOP-Linz (Love Orange Organic Plastic)
The properties of biodegredable plastics are equivalent to the properties of petrochemical plastics. The big difference is that
biodegradable plastics are converted to H2O and CO2 in some month.
Petrochemical plastics need centuries for the same process. Further
Information on the unbelievable negative ecologic impact of
petroleummade plastic, and the advantages of bioplastic can be found on
the main page under biodegredable plastics.
The idea behind it
Every year more than 100 billion tons of organic material are produced by photosynthesis – quiet and without producing waste. In this closed cycle the organic material gets microbiologically degraded to the basic products H2O and CO2. Because of a yearly uptake rate of some hundred million plastic bags and fruit- and vegetable packaging just in Austria a substitution is an important step towards a sustainable future. Away from the petroleum – looking forward to the solar-era is the device. LOOP-Linz tries to inform people about the advantages of the new material called polylactic acid (PLA). PLA can be produced from agricultural commodities like potatoes of maiz. The applicatory advantages of this new packaging technology could be seen live in Linz – from the upper austrian habitants on site and from the rest of austria via TV. The consumers should touch, feel, smell and learn that there is a plastic, which can be part of the compost. Furthermore it could be tested if the symbol of the „seedling“, which stands for biodegradable plastic, makes a correct disposal possible.
It´s working!
The expectations got exceeded. Because of the engagement of alchemia-nova, supported by the upper austrian government, the city of Linz, many retail stores, industrial companies and the IBAW (community of interest for biodegradable plastics) the cycle could be closed. After the usage the plastic bags were thrown into the bio-waste container, then transported to the compost factory and at the end the produced compost could be used as a fertilizer in agriculture. The event was a full medial, social, ecological and economical success. Also the fear that the industry could not understand the advantages was not fulfilled. Since midyear of 2007 Interspar, which is an austrian supermarket-chain, sells bags made of biodegradable plastic and uses bio-packaging for fruits and vegetables, which provides a longer shell life, all over Austria.