Yesterday in Ljubljana a winner was chosen for the Slovenian National Final of ClimateLaunchpad 2015.

ClimateLaunchPad finals: Award goes to Konopko with Hemp Plastic Biogranulate

Yesterday in Ljubljana a winner was chosen for the Slovenian National Final of ClimateLaunchpad 2015. Well done everybody, and see you in Amsterdam, Hemp Plastic Biogranulate!

Here is a short abstract.

Hemp biogranulate is eco-friendly, fully degradable material, made from hemp fibers and lactic acid polymer (known as PLA). Both hemp and PLA are simple biodegradable and recycable materials, replacing non-degradable synthetic materials which are polluting our environment and are known to be agents of various modern day diseases.

WHY USE HEMP TO PRODUCE BIOGRANULATE?

  1. Hemp is easy to grow.
  2. Hemp provides strongest and toughest natural fiber known.
  3. Hemp breaths in 4x more CO2 then tree.
  4. Using natural resourses available locally: hemp instead of importing oil, gas...
  5. Having 100% biobased material, recycable, degradable, compostable
  6. Using agricultural bio waste (in Slovenia) to produce new, enviromental friendly material
  7. Replacing fossil fuel based and synthetic plastics
  8. Following latest EU directives and guidelines for using more recycled materials
  9. Stimulate local economy – grow your plastics


Hemp granulate, produced from renewable resource, sometimes even from biowaste like hemp stem is treated in Slovenia, can easily replace other thermoplastic resins which are now in common use – such as polypropylene or polystyrene resins (produced from fossil fuels). On the other hand HEMP FIBERS ARE MORE DURABLE, LIGHTER AND STRONGER. In comparison with glass fibers, hemp fibers require 10 times less energy for production and resin can be attached to hemp using less chemicals. Products from hemp fibers can be USED/REUSED SEVERAL TIMES AND/OR BE COMPOSTED AT THE END OF THEIR LIFETIME.

Identified customers are manufacturers of technical products in different industries: Automotive, Constructing, Electro, Optical, Medical, Packaging industry and any other industry with extruding or injection moulding technology.

Bottomline – what are customers benefits?

  1. HUGE VALUE to ECO AWARE CUSTOMERS (material is growing on the field, fibers are made out of wasted hemp stem using very little energy, zero Carbon footprint).
  2. RECYCABLE/COMPOSTABLE: use and reuse products.
  3. EXCELLENT MECHANICAL PROPERTIES: hemp bioplastics is natural composite with extremely high Tensile module (much higher when compared to other natural fibre composites (NFC) – wood or coconut fibres).
  4. NEW MARKET ENTRY: due to all of benefits our customers will be able to enter into new markets where new, eco-friendly, degradable, recyclable and yet durable materials are required or preffered.
  5. GROWING DEMANDS FOR BIOCOMPOSITES: i.e. automotive industry is required to use more recycled materials. 25% of end-of-life vehicle is considered waste and generally goes to landfills. Environmental legislation of the European Union requires the reduction of this waste to a maximum of 5% by 2015 meaning 95% of vehicle should be recycled.
  6. REDUCING CO2 FOOTPRINT

Posted on: 10.06.2015