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Award for bioplastics company
Novamont has received the Italian-German 2008 Premio Mercurio® for its public impact, entrepreneurial flair and the promotion of Italian products in Germany. Antonio Puri Purini Italy's ambassador to Berlin will be on hand to present the award.
Mercurio, the not-for profit association set up in 1988 at the behest of the ICE (Italian Institute for Foreign Trade) office Düsseldorf and the Italian Consulate in Cologne, with the patronage of the Italian Ambassador, awards an annual prize for outstanding performance in trade between Italy and Germany. The aim is to encourage bilateral relations, provide a forum for exchange and debate, create incentives for synergy between companies and the institutions, contributing to greater economic and cultural awareness between the two countries. Past winners include UniCredit, TelecomItalia /Alice-Hansenet, Magnetto Automotive, Barilla, MiroRadici Group and Fisia Italimpianti.
The winner of this year’s prize, Novamont, is a ground-breaking manufacturing company originally set up as a research centre and currently devoted to the development of biodegradable products containing renewable raw materials of agricultural origin. The aim of the company is development of the bioplastics sector leading to a redrawing of the entire system, from non-food specialised agricultural production to manufacturing methods, through to product use, and finally disposal at the end of the life cycle.
“The aim of the company is to create a systemic industrial model geared towards conserving the planet’s limited sources, integrating chemistry, agriculture and the environment. Through its Mater-Bi® product, the first completely biodegradable and compostable industrial bioplastic, the company thus makes a significant contribution to combating environmental pollution and the scarcity of energy resources. In particular Novamont’s bio-refinery for the production of Mater-Bi®, which is completely integrated into its locality strengthens the company’s ties with its local area by allowing farmers to specialise in oil crops for the bio-refinery with full utilisation of waste by-products in order to shorten the value chain. This model will be fully appreciated in Germany, a country with a high level of awareness of the importance of innovation and environmental problems,” said Novamont CEO Catia Bastioli.
