1st prize 2024

An ultra-thin, completely transparent and tear-resistant film that contains neither plasticizers nor other additives, that is made exclusively from renewable raw materials or waste, that is recyclable and can be completely biodegraded in soil or water: When Dirk Hollmann was hired as head of the "Sustainable Chemistry" junior research group at the University of Rostock in 2018, it still sounded like a specification from a distant future. Five years later, the company Cell2Green, co-founded by Hollmann, set out to make this bold vision a reality with a process that has since been patented. The Cell2Green film, which can replace plastic packaging in the food sector, among other things, does not contain any plastic itself. It is made of cellulose.

In contrast to many other methods of cellulose production and processing, the Cell2Green process, which has so far been tested on a pilot scale, does not use any toxic substances. The start-up, based in Bad Doberan in Mecklenburg, uses waste from, for example, FSC-certified trees or from the paper industry, and preserves the natural structure of cellulose with its chemical-mechanical process. In addition to tailor-made films for a wide variety of applications, the company also offers customers from numerous industries the possibility of cost savings through CO2 certificates. The jury awarded first prize to the innovation, which was implemented very targeted by a small, highly professional team. The fact that the film cannot be welded, unlike its plastic counterparts, is not seen as a disadvantage by the jurors. Instead, they recommend the new main prize winner to cooperate with the predecessor, which won the competition last year with its bio-based, biodegradable adhesive Caremelt®.

More about Cell2Green

Cell2Green GmbH
Dr. Dirk Hollmann
 

Bad Doberan