An intuition of the South Tyrolean engineer, researcher and inventor Alberto Volcan gave life to Cartamela and Pelle mela, new materials created from the recycling of industrial waste from fruit juice factories
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himBeing green very often means setting creativity in motion and looking for alternative and not exactly conventional solutions to meet the needs and small problems of every day. This is precisely the case with the paper realized recycling waste from the industrial processing of apples: a brilliant intuition of the South Tyrolean engineer, researcher and inventor albert volcano, which had the support of the Merloni Progetti and Province of Bolzano.
The engineer Volcan has been dedicated for years to the study of effective solutions for eco-sustainable disposal of waste and to limit the impact of man and his activities on the environment, and to date it has obtained several international awards. About the Paper it to me, Volcan began testing his intuition in 2004, eventually patenting a particular drying process: apple scraps are subjected to a dehydration, cooling and grinding treatment, in order to block decay and fermentation and leave their sugar and cellulose content unaltered, indispensable for the production of paper. From the process we thus obtain one White flour, which contains 65% cellulose and is suitable for the production of any type of paper article.
An interesting application that also has the merit of contributing to reduce the costs of waste management: apple waste, of which i residues from the industrial production of fruit juices, they are in fact considered "special waste", a classification that makes their disposal particularly expensive. The project of Paper it to me buy a greater value if we think that South Tyrol is one of the largest European apple producers. Paper it to me, whose rights are held by Ecoapple s.r.l. (info@ecoapple.com), has already received important successes, so much so that it has quickly conquered both the Public Administration of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano and the South Tyrolean Diocese.
To the experience of Paper it to me More recently, a second project followed, again based on the recycling of apple cores: It is Pellemela, a vegetable leather extremely multifaceted, which can have the same uses as real leather, from furniture to fashion, from shoes and bags, with the advantage of not being the result of killing an animal.
If these apple flour solutions intrigue you or interest you, here you will find a photo gallery of ecological materials designed by Volcan. It is a series of interesting insights, from which various positive effects can arise: in addition to protect the environmentin fact, the growth and empowerment of a real industry based on recycling guarantees one sustainable and harmonious development of the South Tyrolean territory and it can also be very important repercussions in terms of employment.
Lisa Vagnozzi
