3rd prize 2024
Neo-plastic
Diespeck (Germany)
Innovation:
CroPro© Biopolymer wildlife browsing protection for conifers
A tiny thing with a lasting effect: just 1.5 grams of bio-based and biodegradable plastic ensure that a young conifer can grow unhindered! This is because the "little crown" called CroPro© protects the terminal shoot from browsing by wild animals. The jury was impressed by the combination of complex design, clever choice of material and the color, which also fulfills a function. Blue has a deterrent effect on game.
Jury Statement
“Tree crowns” made of bioplastic for effective protection against wild animals
At a time when the reforestation of huge forest areas is the order of the day, this innovation from Middle Franconia comes at just the right time: CroPro© protects the tips of young conifers against damage from wild animals - without leaving any lasting traces in the forest and without any additional follow-up costs for the forestry companies. The combination of biodegradable material, complex design and functional coloring, which has been developed in numerous series of tests and tried and tested in practice, has been awarded another third prize in the BIOPOLYMER Innovation Awards 2024. The jury is also honoring the exemplary cooperation of the three project partners Neo-plastic Dr. Doetsch Diespeck GmbH, GLENPRO Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH and KDS Kunststoffe-Dienstleistungen-Service.
Forestry workers can place the "crown" made of bio-based, biodegradable plastic, which weighs just 1.5 grams, onto the treetops with one hand as they pass by - and then confidently leave it to itself. The "spikes" of the complexly shaped injection-molded part and the blue color, which is a deterrent for animals, prevent wild animals such as deer or stag from gnawing off the terminal shoot, i.e. the treetop, which is so important for the tree. The self-enclosing and at the same time flexible shape of the delicate part prevents it from slipping due to wind and weather or being stripped off. The open structure of CroPro prevents heat and moisture build-up, allows light and air to reach the bud, which is so important for the tree's rapid, straight growth, and expands as it grows. The "crown" performs its valuable service for around five to six years. When the tree is big enough and the terminal shoot is therefore inaccessible to the game, it gradually decays. In contrast to other protective measures, CroPro does not need to be adapted to tree growth, nor does it need to be collected later for environmental reasons. When it comes into contact with the forest floor, the bioplastic is broken down by microorganisms and degradation processes in a similar natural way to wood or straw, for example.
Contact GLENPRO KDS neo-platic
Neo-plastic Dr. Doetsch Diespeck GmbH
Hubertus von und zu Franckenstein
Diespeck
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Phone: +49 (3461) 7940320
E-Mail: biopolymer@polykum.de
Fördergemeinschaft für Polymerentwicklung und Kunststofftechnik
Peter Putsch
Brandisstraße 4
06217 Merseburg
Germany
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