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Bark to beauty: forest byproducts for cosmetics, food, and chemicals 
CategoriesSustainable News

Bark to beauty: forest byproducts for cosmetics, food, and chemicals 

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: One part of the UN FAO’s (Food and Agricultural Organization) forestry programme is the “conservation and sustainable use of forests to enhance forest-based livelihoods.” In this spirit, Finnish materials technology company Montinutra has created a chemical-free extraction process for valorising forestry waste.

Using Pressurised Hot Water Extraction (PHWE), the company transforms forest industry side streams into valuable new ingredients for the cosmetics, food and beverage, and chemical industries. Sawdust and bark are two of the most common waste products in the forestry, and with Montinutra’s inexpensive, efficient extraction process, businesses can turn a byproduct with little value into a new income stream. 

The bioactive compounds that come from wood waste are highly valuable ingredients. When they are used in place of petrochemical-based materials, manufacturers reduce production emissions while improving the health of their products. In cosmetics, for instance, wood sugars provide emulsifying, SPF-boosting, and antioxidant qualities, and the ingredients can be used in industrial applications as binders, coatings, and fillers.  

The extraction process works with many different types of feedstock, and the machinery and hardware are modular, transportable, and use closed-loop water circulation and energy recovery. That makes it easy for lumberyards and other forestry businesses to integrate a new system into existing infrastructure while improving the overall sustainability of their operations. The minimal amount of material left over after extraction can then be used for biofuel. 

Montinutra’s pilot plant in Turku, Finland, proved the viability of the technology, and the company is now in the planning stages for its expansion to industrial-scale manufacturing capabilities by 2026. Following recent funding, the company hopes to quicken its international expansion and is also looking to soon rebrand as ‘Boreal Bioproducts’.

In Springwise’s database, other innovations centred on upcycling sawdust include using the material for 3D printing and building new beehives that help the insects survive winters.

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference

Sustainable oils and fats for food and cosmetics 
CategoriesSustainable News

Sustainable oils and fats for food and cosmetics 

By Zarkon Group,

Spotted: According to a market report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development and the State of Sustainability Initiatives, the conundrum facing palm oil producers is that “while the sector is a main driver of climate change through deforestation and land-use change,” the crop is “the most widely produced edible oil, meeting 40 per cent of global demand for vegetable oil on less than six per cent of all land dedicated to producing vegetable oils.”

The oil’s versatility means that it is used in many different food and cosmetic products, making it very difficult to find a sustainable replacement. Fermentation may be the key to meeting that challenge. UK foodtech company Clean Food Group uses food waste and large-scale fermentation to create sustainable oils and fats. Designed to replace traditionally grown products, the fermented versions grow on non-GMO yeast chosen for its speed and customisation capacity.  

Having recently raised £2.3 million to scale its operations, the company has already completed a 1,000 litre fermentation test. The results from the latest trials will be used to create the oils and fats that will be submitted for regulatory food and cosmetics approvals late in 2023. Clean Food Group plans to complete commercial scale trials and its Series A funding round in 2024.  

The company is working with industrial food specialists Alianza Team and Doehler Group to scale production capacity to industrial quantities as well as develop the products that will undergo compliance testing.  

Replacing standard chemicals with less toxic versions that also create less pollution during production is a challenge that is attracting the attention of innovators around the world. In Springwise’s library, examples of new manufacturing techniques include bio-based surfactants and AI-powered R&D. 

Written By: Keely Khoury

Reference