"Unlocking Potential, Delivering Excellence"
In the future, FRENVI will also focus on „upcycling” within the concept of the „Circular Bio-Economy”. In this context, we are addressing the question of how „secondary residues”, e.g. from the beverage and food industry, can be exploited and value-added.
Seaweed & Seagrass
Every year, thousands of tons of seaweed and algae are washed up on German vacation beaches. The so-called driftwood arouses the tempers of fine noses and sensitive feet. The driftwood may no longer be spread on fields and must therefore be disposed of at great expense by coastal communities. The research project “Circular.Poly.Meer” uses the driftwood as a natural raw material in the sense of the circular economy and creates new products for the coastal economy that are environmentally and climate friendly. The resulting nature-based packaging and tableware solutions, such as packaging and cups, replace plastic solutions, are “garden compostable” and would decompose back into the original components in the sea.
Beer and tea spent grain as a secondary raw material
This research project aims to explore the possibilities of using, a case in point, bio- residues from the beer industry – beyond their current use as animal feed – to produce natural-based tableware solutions. FRENVI aims to add more value to the residual materials and keep the natural fibers in circulation in an environmentally friendly way. Other beverage production processes also generate residual materials that FRENVI would like to incorporate. The aim is to create natural-based tableware solutions for beverage manufacturers, such as cups, plates, and cutlery.
Residues from the chocolate industry
The chocolate research project focuses on residual materials from the food industry, particularly the chocolate manufacturers’ sphere of influence:
The shell of the cocoa bean accumulates as a bio-residues during chocolate production and is to be preserved as a “valuable material” and integrated into the manufacturer’s cycle. Potential products include, for example, plastic-free trays for chocolate products.
