The Israeli nanotech company Melodea won the Nanotechnology Innovation of the Year Award at the recent NanoIsrael 2016 conference in Tel Aviv.

Melodea has developed a cost-effective proprietary technology to extract nano-crystalline cellulose (NCC) from wood pulp and other side streams of the paper industry. Considered a green and safe alternative to fossil fuel-based materials, NCC is an abundant, renewable product made from paper industry waste. 11 million tons of such waste is produced annually in Europe alone.

Melodea develops unique technologies for producing NCC-based materials such as paints, eco-friendly construction foams, and water-based adhesives. Future uses are expected to include biodegradable plastic bags and textiles, electrically conductive paper, and new drug-delivery technologies.

Melodea has a strategic collaboration with Holmen, a leading Swedish manufacturer in the forest sector. The launch of Europe’s first NCC pilot facility, located in Sweden and based on Melodea’s technology, is expected by the end of 2016.

A video explaining the company’s technology is embedded below.

(via Israel21c)

[Photo: SaintGobainTV / YouTube ]