nova talk: bio-based materials in laboratory scientific instruments

Where did you hear about the Bio-based materials conference? What do you expect?

Tine Zlebnik:
Echo was exhibiting last year at “microplastic in the environment”, a conference that was also organized by nova-institute and we are now demonstrating our solutions at some smaller exhibitions of conferences that apply more to bio-based-materials. That is why we applied to the Bio-Based Materials conference here in Cologne.
We expect to get some good contacts, that would lead us to sell our laboratory-equipment and also, because we think to find potential partners for European projects with regard to for example the development of pilot plants.
The spot where we’ve set up our booth is great, the price/cost ratio for our participation is reasonable, and now we are looking forward to the event.

What do you think about the bio-based economy? How will it develop in the future?

Tine Zlebnik:
Well, hopefully more and more bio-materials will be used in the industry. Basically, what we expect is that more and more bio-based-materials will be used, because of the environmental purposes. But the trends say they are going down. It is not good and will hopefully change in the future.

Does that mean you see a potential for bio-based products?

Tine Zlebnik:
Yes, I see potential, but the legislation in the European union and the whole world have to change drastically.

Okay, tell us a little bit about your solution. What are you demonstrating?

Tine Zlebnik:
Our head of sales Dieter Grotholtmann from Labor- and Analysen-Technik GmbH can tell you something about our products. I will explain everything about the respirometer technology. Respirometer is the name of our solution.

Good Morning, Mr. Grotholtmann? What is your solution about, I can see hardware equipment, what is it?

Dieter Grotholtmann:
Labor- and Analysentechnik, LAT, is based in Garbsen close to Hannover, Germany. LAT is the distributor of laboratory scientific instruments in Germany. We are here today together with our partner company ECHO to demonstrate the respirometer that is used to measure the biodegradation of plastics.

Tine Zlebnik:
Let me explain a bit more in detail. That means you have a sample of plastic and this should be biodegradable. You put it inside to the vessel. You have 12 channels here so you are able to do reference measurements, measurements only with the compost and measurements with the actual samples. Usually the sample testing lasts 3 months to get the term of how bio-degradable a material is. You can monitor the production of C0₂ and consumption of O₂ and the consumption of carbon dioxide and the consumption of oxygen. All the vessels are inside the controlled atmosphere and after the 3 months of testing you get the information of how much bio-degradation happened in certain products.

You are not a start-up anymore, with these devices you are on the market already?

Tine Zlebnik:
Yes, we have been on the market since a couple of years. We have good references in Germany in certification with Isega Forschungs- und Untersuchungsgesellschaft mbH. They are using our instruments to issue the labels of how some materials are bio-degradable.

Mr. Zlebnik and Mr. Grotholtmann thank you very much for the interview.

Source

nova-Institut GmbH, 2017-07-05.

Supplier

ECHO
LAT-Labor- und Analysen-Technik GmbH
nova-Institut GmbH

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