Cellulose instead of Plastic

Environmentally friendly microplastic alternatives in cosmetics items

KosLigCel is a research project in the framework of the top cluster BioEconomy for the researching of cheap manufacturing of biodegradable cellulose particles made of beechwood, oats, wheat and corn. These fulfil the same requirements for abrasiveness and cleaning performance in dental and skincare products as conventional microplastics, but are considerably more environmentally friendly.

Interview with Dr. -Ing. Sarembe, scientist at Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Active Agents and Systems IMWS in Halle (Saale).

Microplastics are now even used in our mouths. So why is microplastic so dangerous for our environment?

Microplastics are plastic particles that perform useful functions in many products, such as in creams, shower gels and nappies. Two characteristics make them a problem for the environment: First, the particles are very small (between a few micrometres and 5 millimetres), i.e. if they are used as part of a shower gel and get into the sewerage, they cannot be filtered out by common treatment plants like other pollutants. They go further into the water cycle, can be absorbed there by different organisms and thus get into the food chain. In the worst case, we than have a fish on our plate that contains plastic from our shower gel. The second problem is the great durability of the particles: The natural decomposition takes place very slowly, this can last more than 100 years. After all, materials such as polyethylene have been specifically developed for a long service life. This is a desirable characteristic for pipes, bottles or gears made of plastic. It becomes a problem when microplastic particles get into the water cycle. This is why, together with our industrial partners, in the project “KosLigCel”, we developed natural cellulose particles that can replace microplastics and are biodegradable.

What products use microplastic where you would not expect to find it?

In the public debate at the moment, people often talk about peelings, toothpastes, deodorants and many other cosmetic products. It has to be said, however, that many manufacturers now no longer use microplastics in these products or are at least intensively searching for environmentally friendlier solutions. According to a current study, cosmetic products account for 4.1 percent of the annual quantity of microplastic put in the seas in Europe. That is still several thousand tons per year. A much greater role, however, is played by the pollution of bodies of water with microplastic from tyre abrasion or from items of clothing that get into the environment when they are washed. Not least of all, there is not just primary microplastic, which is deliberately manufactured as such, but also microplastic particles that occur when plastic waste gradually disintegrates in the environment.

What can your “biological granules” do better? And what are perhaps their disadvantages?

We have concentrated on skincare products and toothpaste. In these, microplastic particles are used as “gentle abrasives”, contributing to the products’ cleaning performance. Together with partners, we have proven that a similar cleaning performance can be achieved if one uses particles made from cellulose, which are biodegradable. Another advantage is that cellulose particles – unlike plastic – also absorb water and oil. This is a promising characteristic for moisturising creams.

In what areas can the natural particles be used?

We can see possible applications for the cellulose particles developed by us and our partners in skin cosmetic products like creams and peelings, but also in decorative cosmetics, such as for mascara, powders and lipstick. Use in medical products is also conceivable. Microplastic particles are also often used as stabilisers and filling materials, such as in deodorants, because of their chemical resistance and colourlessness, odourlessness and tastelessness. Our biodegradable replacement materials are also suitable for this.

Why are there still no widely-used alternatives to microplastics?

There are functioning replacement materials that are environmentally friendly. We have proved that in our project, among other things. Of course, it takes time until such alternatives have been developed and sufficiently tested. In addition to this, the manufacturers have to switch their production and the new materials also have to be competitive in price. But a lot of things have been set in motion – politicians are also upping the pace, because, in view of the increasingly clear findings about environmental pollution, bans on microplastics are anticipated in many places or have even already been enacted.

What are the biggest problems and challenges in this research project?

This can be illustrated very well using the example of the toothpaste developed in our project with cellulose particles: First of all, we had to identify a suitable base material and chose cellulose, which is obtained from beechwood, oats, wheat and corn. Then it was a matter of manufacturing the cellulose particles in such a way that their size, shape, hardness and even surface structure are exactly right for the desired cleaning properties. The cellulose particles have to remove plaque, tooth discolouration and food residues, but must not damage dental enamel. We have repeatedly examined the structure of the particles with high-resolution microscopes, measured the cleaning performance with other test methods, and gradually optimised the manufacturing process. Of course, we also have to bear in mind that the particles are harmless to health, and that the manufacturing has a moderate cost ratio.

What partners are you cooperating with?

Our partners in the project “KosLigCel” were CFF GmbH from Gehren in Thuringia, which was above all responsible for the manufacturing of particles, and Skinomics GmbH from Halle (Saale), who have primarily taken over the manufacturing and dermatological testing of the products.

Which natural materials are particularly suitable? What have the best results been achieved with?

We have tested several cellulose types on the basis of beechwood, oats, wheat and corn as replacements for microplastic particles. All of these have proven to be suitable. Tests are also being carried out at other research institutes using biowax, salt and olive pits. In our project, we have created the basis for also being able to test such alternatives and others, with detailed materials research, and thus test their suitability.

Are there already concrete examples of market-ready applications?

The particles developed in our project are already on the market and are distributed by CFF GmbH.

What do you think the future might hold? Will microplastics soon disappear completely from products?

A comprehensive replacement of microplastic in cosmetics products by biodegradable materials is feasible, in the next five to ten years. Niche products such as vegan cosmetics will be the first to make the change, then the mass market will follow. Consumer demand and policy guidelines are both pointing in this direction, both have recognised the problem and are looking for alternatives. As I mentioned, though, use in cosmetics products only accounts for a small proportion of the complete environmental pollution from microplastics. More research is necessary for other fields of applications, like textiles and colours, or for the problem of tyre abrasion. This will definitely take longer than five to ten years. Also, no solution has yet been found for the problem of secondary microplastic. Overall, however, one can recognise a trend towards producing plastics in a more environmentally friendly way, based on renewable raw materials. A great deal is happening in the research on this and we are also collaborating on it intensively at the Fraunhofer IMWS in Saxony-Anhalt.

Contact person for the research project:
Dr. -Ing. Sandra Sarembe
Characterization of medical and cosmetic care products at Fraunhofer IMWS
+49 345 5589-256
sandra.sarembe.ignore@imws.fraunhofer.de

Wood Plastic Composites

megawood® – a company from Aschersleben conquers the world market with new materials

“We do not need or want any trees to be cut down for us” says Managing Director Holger Sasse

Holger Sasse, Managing Director of NOVO-TECH GmbH & Co.KG, is following a well-tried principle with a new approach, with his 142 employees at the company headquarters in Aschersleben in Saxony-Anhalt: products made from a composite of natural fibres with polymers. Around the world, other companies are already producing under the name WPC (wood plastic composite). Holger Sasse does not want his material to be compared with WPC liquid wood, however, a 50:50 mixture of natural fibres and plastic constituents. The result can hardly be called a natural product, he says. He regards WPC as being more of a fibre-reinforced plastic.

The product of megawood® by contrast consists of at least 70 percent natural fibres, which come 100 percent from shavings from the wood industry. They contain no more than 30 percent polymers and additives. With this, a completely new group of materials was created: wood polymer materials. Thanks to megawood® the term has been defined and standardised. In the foreseeable future, it will also become calculable and be approved in construction with an elasticity module. This has been made possible by cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institut. This assessment and calculability of a material is important for ensuring that it can also be used for load-bearing components. Another market for this versatile material.

The success story of megawood® began in 2005 when it was still at a site in Halle Ammendorf. But Holger Sasse returned to his roots and relocated the company headquarters to his home town Aschersleben. The foundation stone was laid on 09.02.2007, and the first board was produced in August 2007. Despite having capital resources, the young company required public funding. The Managing Director is still very grateful to the state of Saxony-Anhalt for this support. And for cooperation with the investment bank, without which it “would have been substantially more difficult than it was and would not be the way it is today”.

“We have the clear policy: to use domestic, renewable materials wherever we can, and as little crude oil as possible”

The sparing use of finite resources is very important to the Managing Director. “We do not need or want any trees to be cut down for us. We work 100 percent with the leavings of the wood industry: shavings.” He says that this has become more and more difficult in the past few years, because waste wood is increasingly burnt immediately. Holger Sasse is therefore a fan of the “cascade economy”: “Everything that we have produced must be used as a material as often as possible, in order to save resources. It is only at the end of its use as a material that it can then be transformed into energy. That is what we would wish for.”

In the framework of this principle, NOVO-TECH takes back old plank flooring in order to re-process and re-use them. Holger Sasse mentions with a wink that not many of its products have been returned. The company has only been in the market for twelve years, and it is assumed that the material will do its job outdoors for 20 to 30 years. These figures are confirmed by the company’s own stock of twelve-year-old outdoor installations and 97 years of artificial weathering in the laboratory - wood cannot compete as a material in this respect.

A versatile material, regardless of whether it is used as a granulate or turned into a product

NOVO-TECH now no longer produces just the well-known barefoot planks, but instead also has privacy shields, light systems and garden torches in its range. The raw material is also marketed to customers as granulate. The company’s warehouses contain an extremely wide variety of items in all variations for megawood® 350. Holger Sasse proudly relates how even large DIY chains approach him to commission decking boards from the natural material for their own brands.

Virtually anything that the customer wants can be manufactured from the wooden composite material: garden furniture, benches, flower tubs, kennels and even whole children’s playground sets. TÜV (control board) certification ensures that the products and/or the material are also suitable for children and can even be used as toys. The TÜV was also astonished at the material’s long service life in its repetition test: Two years after the first inspection, the test playground still looks like it did on the first day. Ideal for ensuring that many more generations of children can also have fun on it.

Composite Parquet

Tropical wood from the South Harz Mountains

timura Holzmanufaktur GmbH specialises in the thermal treatment of indigenous types of wood

Since he was a small child, Tom Sieverts has been surrounded by wood. The fact that his home is by the North Sea did not stop this from being the case. His father’s company manufactured garden furniture from teak. High-quality and durable outdoor furniture is just as much in demand in Hamburg as in the rest of Germany. However, says the now 35-year-old, more and more environmentally conscious people – especially his family – are finding it unacceptable that the rainforest is being over-exploited for this furniture.

“At first, we were the first to have wood sustainably grown in Indonesia on FSC-certified plantations”, explains Tom Sieverts. His vision for the future, however, was a different one: “tropical wood made in Germany”. In 2008, this became a reality with the founding of timura Holzmanufaktur. Since 2009 the business has been located in Rottleberode in the south of the Harz Mountains in the Eastern German federal state of Saxony-Anhalt. This is only logical: ash, oak, spruce and poplar – the best indigenous types of wood – can here be found on one’s doorstep. Not only that: “This site in the middle of Germany was also our first choice from a logistical standpoint”, says Tom Sieverts. He has been the Managing Director of timura since its founding.

What professional connection does he have to the wood industry? He has to laugh. “No direct connection. I am a businessman like my father.” The young company owner’s metier is wholesaling and foreign trading. So he knows how to sell his “tropical wood made in Germany” in a targeted way: through communication and presentation. It is mostly at trade fairs that Sieverts explains to the audience the technology that is used to manufacture timura thermally treated wood.

“We searched for a long time for a process with which conventional wood can be processed so that, like tropical wood, it does not absorb any moisture and as a result does not swell, does not crack and is long-lasting”, says Tom Sieverts and that they found a Stuttgart company that had developed a corresponding technology. And which was, on top of that, also looking for a successor! timura Holzmanufaktur GmbH bought up the company and developed its technology further.

“Thanks to the thermal enhancement of our indigenous woods we have a genuine alternative to tropical wood”, says Tom Sieverts and explains the so-called Vacu3-process: “The heat transfer between the wood layers takes place in a vacuum chamber by means of hotplates. Due to the additional pressure of 70 tonnes, the wood layers are virtually ironed flat until there is almost no more moisture in the wood. Then the temperature in the chamber is first raised to above 200 degrees Celsius. The colouring of the wood can be controlled through the temperature and duration of the treatment. Vacuum pressure and heat also drives all harmful substances out of the wood.” And there is more. An extremely modern planning plant can process the thermal wood in such a way that it looks as if it has been scrubbed by hand.

timura Holzmanufaktur in Rottleberode now has 15 employees. “Tropical wood made in Germany” is part of the company’s name and is in demand as a product even in China and Japan. The untreated wood, on the other hand, which is first processed in the regional sawmills in the South Harz region (Südharz), only has to travel short distances. “My aim is for about 70 percent of the wood to be processed to come from within a radius of 50 to 100 kilometres”, says timura Managing Director Sieverts, indicating the company’s environmentally friendly principles.

As one of the local processors of wood, he co-founded the Holzimpulszentrum HIZ in Rottleberode in 2012. This centre promotes the use of hardwood in the construction sector. “We don’t just want to make building contractors enthusiastic about wood from sustainably cultivated local forests as a building material. We get involved in the HIZ’s range of advice and further training for architects, building contractors and specialist dealers”, says Tom Sieverts.

Since 2012, timura has been a member of the BioEconomy Cluster Mitteldeuschland. This pursues, among other things, the further processing of wood into an extremely wide variety of bio-based materials with a wide spectrum of very different characteristics. These innovative materials can be the basis for a large number of new products in the bio-economy.

timura Holzmanufaktur GmbH fits in well there with its company philosophy: on principle no tropical wood, on principle sustainable, on principle high-quality, on principle individual.

Managing Director Sieverts feels that his company is in good hands in a region that supports the bio-economy as one of its leading markets and in which the value creation process of wood plays an important role. With its high-quality environmentally-friendly products, timura is catering for a niche that has potential for global growth.

LignoSandwich

A specialist in biological high-tech composite materials is C3 Technologies GmbH.

Stable and cost-effective construction without crude oil and high-energy processes

The innovative construction components and systems can be used for the expansion and insulation of buildings, for the production of modular rapid construction systems as well as in the field of trade fair and shop construction. Natural fibres, resin systems and hard foam provide the basis for laminates, panels and construction elements. The sustainable materials have been developed in a joint research project with the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM in Halle (Saale). In the future, the elements are set to consist exclusively of renewable raw materials.

The latest highlight is the e2b panel tent. It is extremely light and, alongside camping, it is for example suitable for humanitarian purposes, since a large and weather-resistant living area can be created in the shortest time.

Cellulose

Germany’s largest biomass power plant based on solid biomass

Pulp, bioenergy and more - Zellstoff Stendal produces kraft pulp, or rather NBSK market pulp (Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft). The main raw material is softwood. They use this precious, renewable material in the most efficient and sustainable manner possible.

Alongside cellulose fibre, the company extracts various biochemicals from the wood during the production process which are used in the chemical industry: turpentine and tall oil. Only later, after the comprehensive material recycling of wood biomass, bioenergy is generated from the remaining organic components. In this way, the company operates Germany’s largest biomass power plant based on solid biomass.

Pulp is a raw material for the paper industry, and is used especially in the production of printing, tissue and special paper. Another important purpose of use is as fresh fibre in the recycling of waste paper. Only in this way can the recycling loop be maintained.

Together with Zellstoff Rosenthal in Blankenstein in Southern Thuringia and Zellstoff Celgar in Castlegar/Canada, Zellstoff Stendal belongs to the American-Canadian Mercer International Group, one of the leading manufacturers of long-fibre market pulp in the world. Altogether, the three Mercer pulp mills produce more than 1.5 million tons of pulp a year.

KVH, BSH, Pellets

The family-run ante Group is one of the leading wood industry companies in Germany and Europe. Since its foundation in 1927 as a sawmill in Winterberg (North Rhine-Westphalia), the company has developed to today’s ante Group through sustainable and long-term growth.

750 employees and constant investment programmes in all four locations form the basis for softwood to be processed to the most modern wood products, which find a ready market worldwide. With expertise from four generations, ante is your competent contact partner on the natural product of wood.

Smart Straw

A start-up is developing a system to simplify the construction of straw bale houses

The bioeconomy is becoming part of everyday life and work in Saxony-Anhalt. During this period of structural change, Saxony-Anhalt is transforming itself into a model region. Alongside expertise, experience and established companies, there is one other important factor: the courage to turn visions into reality and to encourage the growing interest in biobased, sustainable products. Werner Ehrich is one of the people who takes sustainability seriously and exploits the full potential of ideas. Ehrich comes from the town of Weißenfels in Saxony-Anhalt and is founding a company that aims to simplify the construction of straw bale houses.

The basic concept is by no means new. More than 130 years ago, migrant workers in Nebraska used straw bales like bricks to build the walls of houses because of a lack of wood. The oldest straw bale house in Europe can be found in France and dates back over 100 years. A building method that had been long forgotten is enjoying a renaissance. According to Germany’s association for straw bale construction, the Fachverband Strohballenbau Deutschland e. V., there are around 400 straw bale houses in the country and this figure is growing. Werner Ehrich has a number of answers to the question “Why?”: “Straw is a natural, renewable raw material which provides excellent insulation and almost no energy is used to produce it.” This gives it a smaller carbon footprint than any conventional building material. Straw combined with wood fixes carbon dioxide and can help to protect the climate. One tonne of straw traps 1.5 tonnes of CO₂. That is equivalent to the CO₂ emissions of a medium-sized car traveling around 7000 kilometers. But building a house with straw bales is not that simple. And this is where Werner Ehrich’s idea comes in. Traditionally, small straw bales have been used to renovate buildings or construct new ones. They are pushed into a supporting structure and then compressed. After this they are plastered or boarded in. A constant watch has to be kept on the sky, because rain can harm the straw.

Werner Ehrich, who has been the owner of an environmental architectural practice for more than 25 years, has been involved with straw bale buildings for over 15 years and has extensive experience of renovating old buildings. As a carpenter and qualified architect, he can make an expert assessment of structures that need renovation and new-build projects. He is familiar with the market and understands the possibilities for using assembly systems. He realized: “We can do this better.” He noticed the large straw bales in the region’s arable fields and thought: “They’re ideal. We need to use them.”

No binders or additives

He believes that “everything in nature functions in self-stabilizing closed loops,” and so on his drawing board he designed a frame system, which is a large component to hold the large straw bales. This has a number of useful attributes. It gives an accurate fit, compresses the straw, provides significant heat insulation and is load-bearing and easily dismantled. It is made of wood and, of course, straw. No binders or additives are needed and hardly any energy is used in the construction process. The “straw with a frame” has now been patented and has attracted considerable attention. One interested party is a young structural engineer with creative talents from Halle (Saale) who is in the process of completing his master's dissertation in engineering. During a meeting of the “Bauzirkel Leipzig,” a construction association that is committed to a cradle-to-cradle approach for an integrated and consistent circular economy, he found out from Werner Ehrich about the large construction component containing straw. Out of this encounter came the plan to found a company in Weißenfels in early 2022 with the working title of “Stroh mit Köpfchen” (smart straw).

Support from the Weinberg Campus Accelerator

The pair have been given support by the Weinberg Campus Accelerator at Weinberg Campus Technology Park in Halle (Saale), an accelerator program for start-ups in the biomedical and life sciences, greentech, bioeconomy and new materials sectors. The start-up accelerator provides the two potential founders of the company with the expertise they need to become independent, contacts with important networks and coaching sessions that give them the information they will need over the next few months. “If you have little experience of setting up a company, all of this is very important,” says Werner Ehrich, who has already taken the next steps towards founding his start-up. He has built a prototype and aroused even greater interest among potential customers. In the fall, the first show house will be built in Weißenfels. The plan is for the start-up to go into pre-production in a factory building so that the work can done quickly regardless of the weather. Now Ehrich is looking for a method of compressing the straw and moving the components. One frame weighs around 200 kilograms and is 2.5 to 3.5 meters high and 1.25 meters wide. “It would be great if we could find some financial support for this,” he says. At the moment, the straw is still being compressed by hand in his yard. It is supplied by an agricultural cooperative in nearby Bad Dürrenberg. “One of the advantages is that straw is an agricultural waste product and so is available almost everywhere,” says Ehrich. He is also convinced that the straw component “is the best method for building houses” and structures of any kind from offices and public buildings, such as child day-care centers, to commercial properties.

“The future is under our feet.”

The fact that the system works has been demonstrated not only by the farmworkers in Nebraska. Straw bale houses have been built with the help of Werner Ehrich in Leipzig-Lindenau. In Großjena near Naumburg, a straw bale chalet made of wood, lime and straw with a historic vaulted cellar is being planned. Another example in Saxony-Anhalt is the three-story apartment building in the Sieben Linden ecovillage in Beetzendorf in the Altmark region. Werner Ehrich helped to build the first straw bale house here. He also mentions historic buildings that he describes as “early eco-houses,” because they are built from wood, straw and lime which makes them “easy to dismantle almost completely.” Most of them have stood for many years, because contrary to popular opinion, buildings insulated with lime and straw last for a very long time.

What was not available to the builders back then was the large-scale construction method which the new start-up from Saxony-Anhalt plans to deliver soon. “In principle we are supplying giant straw bricks,” says Ehrich. The strength of the components can be adjusted and they are the height of a room and easy to assemble. In addition, they do not need a supporting structure. Werner Ehrich explains that one thing is very important to him. He is repeatedly asked about this: “The straw does not attract mice. They only go where they can find the remains of the grain, but the efficiency of the latest generation of combine harvesters means that there is no grain left.” According to Werner Ehrich, his straw and wood system has “only benefits.” He says: “Building sustainably means protecting the climate as you go. The future is under our feet, along with the straw.”

Author: Manuela Bock/IMG Sachsen-Anhalt

Photo: Straw bales for house construction

World's largest algae factory

AlgaeCytes receives building permit for investment at Dessau airfield

Kick off for world's largest algae factory in Saxony-Anhalt

The Lord Mayor of Dessau-Roßlau, Dr. Robert Reck, has officially handed over the building permit for an algae factory to the company AlgaeCytes. A corresponding plant is to be built at the Dessau airfield by the end of 2022. Once completed, the factory will be the largest of its kind in the world. Reck spoke of a "milestone" for the city.

The AlgaeCytes site covers an area of 10 hectares at the northern end of the airfield. The factory building will provide space for 20 bioreactors for algae production. A total of 50 to 70 jobs will be created there. The company is investing around 55 million euros in the construction of the plant.

The groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for this summer. Completion of the building is scheduled for December, with production starting in February 2023.

Various substances are produced from the cultivated algae, such as omega-3 fatty acids. These are used, among other things, as dietary supplements, in the production of medicines or in cosmetics. Until now, such fatty acids have been obtained from fish, which also contributes to the overfishing of the oceans. In contrast, algae products are much more sustainable. The pure algae mass can be used as fertilizer after extraction of fatty acids and other substances. The production of 300 tons of algae per year is planned.

The Lord Mayor of Dessau-Roßlau, Dr. Robert Reck, expressed his satisfaction: "I am delighted that this milestone, which is also so important for our city, has been reached on the road to the Green Economy. AlgaeCytes provides an impulse investment that has an impact far beyond the city's borders. It shows that we have the expertise in the region to implement such projects."

The Managing Director of AlgaeCytes Germany GmbH, Andrew J. Cosentino, is also delighted: "We're looking forward to moving to Dessau. It's an exciting step for all of us." He thanked the city of Dessau-Roßlau for its support during the relocation process and for quickly granting the building permit. He added that the location of Dessau-Roßlau was very attractive because of its central position in Europe and its connection to the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences with its research expertise. Following a pilot plant in Kent (England), the company is building its first large algae factory here.

Source: verwaltung.dessau-rosslau.de

Labels Made from Grass and Marble

Packaging and paper companies in Saxony-Anhalt opt for natural raw materials

The bioeconomy is playing a central role in paving the way to a sustainable and climate-neutral economy. Saxony-Anhalt is fast becoming a model region for all things bioeconomy. The importance of natural raw materials and environmentally friendly production is also being embraced more and more in the packaging and paper industry. Take Aleithe Haftetiketten GmbH from Lutherstadt Wittenberg, for example, which produces its labels using grass and marble. Progroup AG with its high-tech paper factory in Sandersdorf-Brehna and pulp manufacturer Mercer Stendal have also opted for environmentally friendly manufacturing methods in the paper industry.

Self-adhesive labels for products across Germany

The paper that Kerstin Aleithe is holding in her hands has a green sheen to it and smells unmistakably … of grass. “That’s because the paper really is made of grass – partially, at least. 30% percent of the pulp used to manufacture it is replaced with grass. This is more ecological: grass grows faster than wood and, when used to make paper, requires 99% less fresh water, 20% less CO₂ and 97% less energy,” says Kerstin, Managing Director of Aleithe Haftetiketten GmbH. She heads the family business in Saxony-Anhalt together with her brother Thomas. The company specializes in the manufacture of self-adhesive labels for customers in areas such as the pharmaceutical, chemical and food industries. The labels are used on products all over Germany, from medicines to packaged supermarket sausages, to display key consumer information.

Using waste as raw material

“The bioeconomy and the transition from crude oil-based to natural raw materials is an important trend for us. There is increasing demand from the market for sustainable materials in our labels,” says Kerstin. She goes on to explain that they decided to specialize in this area long ago and offer their customers a huge variety of paper and film labels that are now made from natural materials such as marble, rather than crude oil-based materials. “To make this kind of film, known as stone paper, we grind waste from quarries into a fine powder and mix it with a small amount of recycled plastic. This marble powder would otherwise just go to waste. The film can be added to the normal recycling stream,” she explains. This saves 80% of the plastic used in conventional plastic films. According to Kerstin, all types of natural leftover materials like marble can be used to make labels, such as pressed apple peel or the remains of barley or wheat.

Aleithe offers its customers packaging labels made from a diverse range of thousands of materials that can be combined in many different ways. “We recommend a suitable material to our customers based on the type of packaging and their requirements,” says Kerstin. Customers can use the labels to display either product information or marketing.

Aleithe produces several million square meters of film each year

In 2015, business manager Kerstin and her brother Thomas took over from their father Bernd Aleithe as managing directors of Aleithe Haftetiketten GmbH. Bernd founded Aleithe as a one-person company in 1992 in Lutherstadt Wittenberg. Back then the business really was just one person, but Aleithe now employs 70 people and is the third largest product label company in Germany after two big industrial firms. It produces several million square meters of film from its raw materials each year.

Aleithe keeps growing: plans are currently underway to build a facility to house a new special-purpose machine. At a cost of around one million euros, the machine can produce 100,000 packaging sleeves per hour for customers in industries such as food. “We have developed an ecological process here, too. The only plastic we use on the packaging sleeves is for the section where the labelling is printed. The rest is made of paper which can be recycled,” explains Kerstin.

Progroup also investing in modern green technology with 100 million euros for sustainability

Green high-tech strategies can also be found at Progroup, a containerboard manufacture that uses only waste paper as its raw material. Last year, the company put a new paper factory into operation in Sandersdorf-Brehna for the manufacture of environmentally friendly, high-quality containerboard. The factory has a yearly capacity of 750,000 tonnes. “The new paper machine will allow us to produce containerboard sustainably and energy-efficiently for the next 50 to 60 years. That’s why we are investing 100 million euros in sustainability strategies alone,” said Maximilian Heindl, Chief Development Officer and member of the board of Progroup, at the factory opening ceremony. The company has made its production more sustainable by using what is the world’s largest waste paper drum and an innovative circulating water plant, which treats the used process water before returning it into the closed circulation system for paper production. The plant reduces Progroup’s use of fresh water by 80%, which equates to 3.7 million cubic meters of water each year. What’s more, impurities in the waste paper are biodegraded and converted into biogas. This reduces the factory’s overall consumption of fossil fuels by 10%.  “The paper factory is one of the most modern and powerful in the world, and is a prime example of Saxony-Anhalt’s admirable transition to becoming the state for technologies of the future,” said Saxony-Anhalt’s Minister for the Economy, Prof. Armin Willingmann.

Mercer Stendal replacing crude oil with a bioeconomy to produce kraft pulp

Mercer Stendal is an excellent example of the bioeconomy boom that is taking place as part of the structural transformation. The company sustainably produces high-quality, tear-resistant kraft pulp as a raw material for the paper industry. During the production process, biochemicals such as tall oil are obtained from the resin of processed coniferous trees. Tall oil is a renewable raw material that can replace fossil fuel-based raw materials. It is used in the chemical industry for applications such as manufacturing ink, paints and adhesives, and can also be used to produce biodiesel.

Author: Michael Falgowski/IMG Sachsen-Anhalt

Photo: Grass paper adhesive labels ©Aleithe Haftetiketten GmbH

Biological wonder weapon

Rhubarb Root Extract: Innovative Crop Protection Product Prevents Fungal Disease

Alternative crop protection agents are being developed at the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences

Spring barley, winter wheat, rye, tomatoes and vines are all prone to fungal diseases. Researchers from the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences in Bernburg have successfully combated harmful fungi and helped to make crops more resistant to fungal infections using an extract of rhubarb root. The formulations have been thoroughly tested and patented and are now ready for the approval process. With the help of a manufacturer, this innovative biological crop protection product from Saxony-Anhalt could soon be in use in the agricultural industry all over the world.

Versatile rhubarb root

Most people associate rhubarb with pies and cakes, but research into the varied uses of rhubarb root has been going on at the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences since the 1990s. For example, an extract of the root can be used as a sustainable leather tanning agent. Isolating, identifying and characterizing the functional properties of plant substances and producing plant extracts with defined effects are the core competencies of the working group at the Institute of Bioanalytical Sciences (IBAS). The deputy head of the group, Dr. Kathrin Kabrodt, demonstrated the antioxidative, immunomodulatory and antiviral properties of rhubarb root as early as 2007. In addition, Professor Ingo Schellenberg, the head of the group, succeeded in recruiting the phytopathologist Dr. Helmut Baltruschat to the team in 2011. His expertise made it possible to intensify the research into the antifungal properties of the root.

During her doctorate, Marit Gillmeister investigated the effect of the mixture of substances. The combination of polyphenolic flavonoids and stilbenes, such as epicatechin gallate and resveratrol, makes the root extract a biological magic weapon against fungi. The effect has been demonstrated in a number of field trials in collaboration with LGA Landwirtschaftsgesellschaft Arendsee GmbH, the Rollsdorfer Mühle vineyard in the Mansfelder Land region, the local horticultural center and Geisenheim University. “Field trials are, of course, always dependent on the weather,” explains Gillmeister. “This is why we are pleased that we were able to carry out tests in areas with different climates and produce successful results.”

Rhubarb fungicide from Saxony-Anhalt seeks a manufacturer

Alternative crop protection agents make an important contribution to the bioeconomy and to the development of sustainable ways of doing business. In addition to its antifungal effect, the rhubarb fungicide strengthens the plants’ immune system and makes them more resistant. It has been possible to demonstrate a synergistic effect when the rhubarb product is used in combination with the conventional fungicide Corbel. The product can therefore also be used to reinforce traditional crop protection agents and reduce the quantities that need to be applied.

Using a special extraction process in the laboratory and in small-scale production, the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences has manufactured the rhubarb fungicide at a competitive price. Enough extract can be produced from a rhubarb crop covering an area of 1.2 square meters to treat one hectare of cereals twice. This shows that the product will be cost-effective to manufacture on an industrial scale. The rhubarb plants themselves can be used to produce concentrated fruit acid, among other things. Roots are ready for harvesting to create the extract when the plant is around three years old. The time of year when the root is harvested has an influence on the concentration of the substances. The resveratrol content, for example, is highest in the fall. “The mixture is the key factor,” says Gillmeister. “The harvesting time is not crucial to the success of the process.” The extract has a shelf life of at least five years if stored in a cool location in airtight containers. “Our product is ready for approval,” explains Gillmeister. She would like to find a manufacturer that will launch this innovation onto the market.

New research into biostimulants and drought stress

The team of around 15 researchers in the working group is looking closely at the challenges currently faced by the agricultural industry. For example, in other doctoral theses researchers are studying the unknown substances in the roots of members of the buckwheat family (in this case sorrel) or in the fungal symbionts of plants growing in extreme conditions, such as on the waste tips from heavy metal mines in the Harz region. In another research project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) via the Agency for Renewable Resources (FNR), drones are being used to investigate whether fungal isolates can protect crops from drought stress.

“Our native plants offer huge potential,” comments Gillmeister. “In our research work, we are focusing on developing practical, cost-effective manufacturing processes.” She is certain that this is the only way of transferring the results of research into the economy.

Author: Miriam Fuchs/IMG Saxony-Anhalt

Algae

All-rounder & carrier of hope

In a photobioreactor system consisting of five hundred kilometres of glass tubing, a company in Saxony-Anhalt is producing microalgae for the groceries market, and the animal feed and cosmetics industries.

In the Northwest of Saxony-Anhalt, not far from the little town of Klötze in Altmark, the company Roquette Klötze GmbH & Co. KG is fulfilling customer’s wishes from Europe, Asia and America.

Algae are among the Earth’s oldest life forms. They already "invented” photosynthesis around three billion years ago and are now still responsible for the fact that every second oxygen molecule in our breathing air comes from an alga.

So far, only about 30,000 to 40,000 different species of algae are known to science. Biologists estimate that ten times as many species of algae are still unknown. According to the study “How Will Germany Eat in 2030?” by the Swiss groceries concern Nestle, the fact that algae can be resource-efficiently cultivated is in itself enough to ensure that they will become a firm part of our diets.

Microalgae (microscopically small algae), in the form of so-called phytoplankton, are at the beginning of the food chains. Previously, their direct use by human beings led something of a shadowy existence. This did not change until the last turn of the millennium. “And our production site in the north of Saxony-Anhalt has a major role in these changes”, says qualified biologist Jörg Ullmann, Managing Director of Roquette in Klötze.

A project that was ahead of its time  

Microalgae grow 10 to 30 times more quickly than land plants. They turn carbon-dioxide into oxygen more efficiently than most grasses and trees. Merseburg chemist Professor Dr. Karl-Hermann Steinberg put this characteristic to use in the 90s, as Research Director of the former chemistry company Preussag AG, to find a technical solution for the problem of man-made climate change due to rising carbon dioxide emissions. Back then the concept arose of an enclosed light-permeable tube system through which microalgae flow in water. In this, sunlight and CO2 allow photosynthesis, the build-up of biomass and ultimately also carbon dioxide storage.  Such photobioreactors cannot, however, neutralise the large quantities of CO2 emissions of coal-fired power stations. When Preussag AG changed its field of activity at the end of the 1990s, Professor Steinberg acquired the licenses to the technology. It was his idea to use the microalgae, thriving so splendidly in the photobioreactors, for a different purpose – especially for the manufacturing of high-quality products.

From CO2 store to vitamin-rich bioproduct 

17 years ago, the world’s biggest closed microalgae production plant until then was created in the Altmark with the support of the region of Saxony-Anhalt.  In a 500 km-long glass tube system on an area of 1.2 hectares, microalgae can flourish protected from impurities from the environment and produce between 30 and 50 tonnes of biomass annually. The bioproducts that can be made from this appeared to be commercially lucrative. Compared to the competitors from Asia and America, already established on the international markets, which have so far been producing algae products in open facilities – ponds, for example – microalgae cultivation in a closed tube system has two essential advantages: firstly, biological and chemical impurities from outside – such as those due to insects, air pollutants or toxin-forming blue algae – can be excluded. Secondly, the algae can thrive much better, because they are optimally supplied with sunlight all around. There are no dark places, such as at the bottom of the pond, for example. 

Nevertheless, the high expectations of the then operator company Ökologische Produkte Altmark GmbH were initially unfulfilled. The reasons: on the traditional markets for products from microalgae – in Asia and the USA – the “newcomer from Saxony-Anhalt” was still too little known, and in Germany there was initially great reluctance to buy microalgae products. “In a way, the whole concept was in many respects ahead of its time and the business plan at that time was simply too ambitious”, points out Ullmann.

New start in 2004 with new investors 

In the long term, good ideas prevail after all. After the insolvency of the operator company, Professor Steinberg managed to find new investors and to put the plant back into operation in 2004. Since February 2008, the microalgae producer from Klötze has been a one-hundred-percent subsidiary of the French family company Roquette Fréres. The product portfolio has been substantially expanded, new processes and technologies developed and new company collaborations and customers in Europe, America and Asia sought. “We are no longer just producing products from Chlorella vulgaris, but from up to 14 different microalgae species”, says Managing Director Ullmann.  “We want to cater closely to customer wishes with our products”, he adds.  

Many and varied uses of microalgae 

Products from microalgae are of interest on many markets. “As well as the nutritional supplements, which we market under our own brand “Algomed®”, these include products for customers that sell them under their own label”, says Managing Director Ullmann.

The newer lifestyle products produced with microalgae from Saxony-Anhalt include e.g. the soft drink Helga. In 2015 it received the “Taste 15 Award” at the Anuga in Cologne – the world’s biggest groceries fair. “Helga” is currently being sold by, for example, the Nordsee fish catering chain. The “Green Smoothie No.2” from TrueFruits, on refrigerated shelves, and an algae bar from the company Dr. Ritter also contain nutrient-rich algae, produced in the algae factory in Saxony-Anhalt. Further foodstuffs are in development with algal additives that give reason to expect health benefits.

“Our algae products are also in demand as additives for animal feeds and in cosmetic products”, says the qualified biologist. It is hoped, for example, that certain algae can lower the use of antibiotics in animal farming or possess UV-protective and/or anti-ageing properties for the skin. On top of this, the cultivation of microalgae could in future enjoy a comeback in technologies for the reduction of man-made climate change. Fuels from algae cultivation are a general research subject for scientists around the world. They can be produced without using areas needed for cultivation with crop plants for human foodstuff production.

PureRaw

An online shop for vegan foods is established in Saxony-Anhalt

Although a slogan such as “eat yourself healthy” isn’t the kind of thing that Kirstin Knufmann would ever say, she is certainly aware of how strongly her own diet affects her personal wellbeing. And Kirstin wants to share her experiences with as many others as possible: with her internet-based business, she sells vegan food products that have been processed to the least possible extent. With “PureRaw”, she moved all the way from the Cologne region to Klötze – because Klötze offered her space.

Running a successful internet retail business is something that Kirstin never planned to do. You could hardly say that her career got off to a well-planned start when she was younger. Her original plan had been to do something “solid” – such as a business traineeship in the property and real estate business followed by a secure job. “I quickly realised that that wasn’t for me though,” explains Kirstin, who is 36 years old. She gave sports lessons in fitness studios, studied photography, and found her fulfilment. Barcelona, Munich, New York and Los Angeles are all cities in which she worked as a freelance photographer in the areas of fashion, beauty and celebrity.

“It was in America that I discovered raw food, which made me feel so much better.” Not that she hadn’t been very careful about her diet before that though: “I first became a vegetarian at 15 before becoming a vegan when I turned 20.” She has a very good idea about what her body needs and how to provide it with the right nutrients and minerals, without artificial food supplements. With raw foods this is something she found very easy to do.

Shopping for those who are curious

Yet when she returns to her home town of Bergheim near Cologne, things become difficult with the raw food. Of course, not so much with the classics that one immediately thinks of in this context: carrot salad, green lettuce, cucumber salad. Raw food in fact means much more than these things, and it also means products that are as unprocessed as possible and naturally ones that are vegan. Kirstin eventually found what she needed. And since her cooking and eating habits didn’t go unnoticed by those around her, she found herself answering many questions, letting others taste her creations, explaining the physiological contexts and finally serving food to more and more people, providing them with the things she usually only bought for herself: "PureRaw" was born, complete with its homepage and internet shop. That was seven years ago.

“I quickly became so busy with my business that I hardly did any photography at all”, explains Kirstin, regretting the loss of her old pursuit to this day. These days the only time she picks up her camera are the rare occasions that she – rather than someone else – photographs food for her business.

“PureRaw” continues to grow. Kirstin buys cooking ingredients, mixes them together and prepares them for her customers. Her parents’ home then becomes a warehouse for bags and boxes, which occupy one shelf after another. “It finally became impossible. I originally wanted to expand by extending my grandfather's old farm, but the concerns of my parents made me hesitate," she says, explaining the background to her move from Cologne to Klötze.

It was in Klötze that she knew Jörg Ullmann, the owner of what was then the biggest algae farm in Europe. Algae are an important part of the products which Kirstin prepares and sells. Ullmann had previously mentioned that one of the buildings on his farm was empty… “So we took everything to Klötze over the course of just four days, and the sales then continued. My family gave me a lot of help, and in the early days I spent the whole time working,” explains the elegant, energetic woman, remembering the final months of 2012. At the beginning of 2013, she hired her first employees, because even with all her healthy nutrition, enthusiasm and success it was clear that she couldn’t cope with her workload alone, especially as her business continued to grow. In 2015, she left the algae farm – "PureRaw" had become too big. Kirstin now rents a building on the Bergstrasse which she is convinced will last well into the future.

Convincing with great taste

At present, she employs six people in Klötze and has a total of some 18 employees counting those in other towns, such as trade fair staff and other employees throughout Germany. Even if “missionary zeal” isn’t really Kirstin’s thing, she still wants to raise awareness for “raw” and above all else, high-quality food, with as many people as possible. Cooking shows and workshops are a good way of achieving this goal. “Recently, a guy approached me and told me that my food tasted so good, I had turned him from being a convinced meat-eater into a vegan,” explains Kirstin proudly. But she then warns: “Vegan doesn’t automatically mean healthy, though. Whether you’re a vegan, a vegetarian or a meat-eater – it is always about eating a balanced diet and consciously choosing the ingredients.”

This is something that she also wants to contribute to with her books, one of which she has already been written together with Jörg Ullmann, who is now her partner and father of her three-year-old daughter, on the topic of algae, recipes naturally included. “RAW! - Meine raffinierte Rohkost-Küche” (Raw – my refined raw foods cuisine) was her first outing as an author, and she wants to publish another book next year – the demand is there.

Although Klötze is something of a backwater – as an erstwhile resident of the Cologne region, Kirstin misses having a good choice of fitness studios and easy access to a large city – her location doesn’t really have any impact on her internet business. Her customers include buyers, restaurant owners, intermediaries and wholesalers, not only from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, but also from further afield in Europe, and from the USA, Canada, New Zealand, and recently even from Japan.

“The Altmark region is so beautiful, but I sometimes think that the local people don’t realise it and don’t make enough of it,” she says. Thanks to modern technology and the reliable postal system, with her brands PureRaw, Einhorn-Zauber (unicorn magic), RawKao and BOBEI – a German acronym which stands for "baking without butter or eggs",which, like her blue unicorn drinking powder, is another one of her many personal inventions – Kirstin has established her business in northern Saxony-Anhalt. Her customers appreciate her products and know that quality comes with its price. On the shelves, the PureRaw range of products stands neatly on display. If they want to, customers can also try out the cakes, puddings, snacks and sweets that are made with them. Relatively few customers make their way to visit Kirstin in Klötze though – she meets most of them at trade fairs and other events, or on the internet.

Green multi-talents

World-leading research into algae

Saxony-Anhalt has developed into a centre for algae biotechnology. From the fundamental research, to the construction of reactors, all the way through to the development of active agents for the fields of nutrition, medicine and cosmetics, microalgae have a great future as a renewable raw material.

When Carola Griehl is out and about, her eyes often go on a tour of discovery for algae. She has a keen eye for the green micro plants which have a tendency to form wherever the environment is humid – whether in water, on rocks and house walls, or even in the snow. On her last holiday, she says with a smile, she discovered some microalgae in a pond, which isn't yet in her collection. That means something.

Anhalt University of Applied Sciences in Köthen owns some 300 strains of algae. It is here that Carola Griehl is Professor for Biochemistry, and where she leads the working group for "Algae Biotechnology". Carola is one of the leading experts for algae in Germany. Those who join her in the laboratory are quick to notice that her urge to explore is combined with huge enthusiasm. It is therefore for good reason the scientist is also called an "Algae Ambassador". Her message in a nutshell: "Green, blue and red micro-organisms are genuinely multi-talented. They can help us to deal with the major global problems," emphasises Carola Griehl, before making mention of climate change, the growing world population accompanied by declining food supplies as well as the finite nature of fossil fuels.

A source of health-promoting ingredients

The algae researcher is in her element; and she is enthusiastic about highlighting the attractiveness of algae. The algae that she found on holiday actually proved to be a special alga with a high content of omega-3 fatty acids. The professor talks about the development of new species of algae as a source of health-promoting ingredients – such as unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, proteins, blue dyes, carotenoids and other active agents. "These can reduce the risk of dietary-related diseases in the ageing population," highlights the expert, stressing that certain active substances are also a focus for medical applications, including ones that address brain development, the treatment of chronic intestinal inflammation and neuro-degenerative diseases.

The importance of algae is also set to increase in the agricultural sector – in the animal feed sector, for example, or as an additive to fertilizers, as well as in the cosmetics industry and as a producer of raw materials in the energy and chemical industries.

From the fundamental research though to the industrial use

"Saxony-Anhalt has developed into a centre for algae technology," explains the university professor, before referring to the ever-increasing potential in the federal state: In the year 2000, the first industrial photo-bioreactor plant in the world for the production of algae in glass tubes with a length of 500 kilometres was constructed in Klötze in the Altmark region. At the same time, the application-oriented research into algae began at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences. Carola Griehl tells us that some 40,000 species of algae have been classified in the world of science. "We still know far too little about their usable ingredients, however. At present, only 15 microalgae are used at the industrial level. That's why we're creating our own collection of algae strains. We are investigating the use of the microalgae which is found in nature all over the world."

As the next link in the value added chain, the Fraunhofer Centre for Chemical-Biotechnological Processes CBP opened in Leuna in 2012. It is here that the laboratory processes are transferred to the industrial scale. In 2013, Anhalt University of Applied Sciences opened a biosolar centre in Köthen in cooperation with GICON-GmbH. Here, the results from the fundamental research are further developed through to the level of industrial application. Since 2018, the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI in Halle and Anhalt University of Applied Sciences in Köthen have been developing the "Natural Product-Based Therapeutics" joint research laboratory into a national centre for algae-based drug research.

The alternative to coal and oil

With these partners and others from the worlds of science and industry, Anhalt University of Applied Sciences is developing a network which will provide for a technical advantage, worldwide. Professor Griehl proudly refers to the cooperative doctorate programmes, to the international interest in the student exchanges, to the visiting scientists and lecturers, as well as to the international projects in the field of algae research. She recently signed a contract with a Japanese partner which has the objective of conducting research into an algae that secretes petroleum-like hydrocarbons from the cell; key raw materials for the cosmetics and chemical industries which can also be used to generate energy.

"I am particularly pleased about the application-oriented research here and the tangible transfer of knowledge," says Carola Griehl with a twinkle in her eyes; she is also determined to show off her "algae filling station". This species of algae, which excretes oil similar to petroleum, is cultivated in the bubble columns that have been converted into "milking apparatuses". The algae researchers from Köthen have succeeded in siphoning off the oil during the production of biomass. The scientist tells us that algae oil can be produced profitably on an industrial scale, before presenting yet another invention: the pilot plant is equipped with photo bioreactors developed by GICON GmbH – pine trees made from silicone tubes which can be tempered. This allows the algae culture to be cooled on hot days to prevent it from heating up to more than 35 degrees, which would cause the contents to die.

Raising a toast – with blue algae beer

"It goes without saying that we want to use our pioneering technological role to bring algae into play as an alternative in the development of an energy economy free from oil and coal," explains professor Griehl. She refers to a recent initiative from visionaries who want to establish a Central German Centre for Algae. The objective is to develop, certify and launch new algae-based products in the interests of strengthening the economic clout of the region.

In this respect, nothing could be more appropriate than raising a toast to the blue algae beer from Jean Titze, the beer-brewing professor for food technology. "It doesn’t just taste great. The blue colour of the algae also has an anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic effect," enthuses the Algae Ambassador.

Algae Drink Helga

The term ‘superfood’ refers to food which has various health benefits for consumers due to its ingredients.

The drink component of the same name as well as superfood are the Chlorella algae. They are microalgae which are naturally found in fresh water. They are regarded as superfood, as the algae contain a high amount of vitamins, minerals and trace elements which are important for the body. Thanks to their high protein content, they can also be used as a plant-based source of protein for vegetarians and vegans. The algae should also be effective as a slimming product, as they contain large amounts of soluble fibres.

Pharma Wernigerode

Plant extracts and tailor-made solutions from the Harz - a traditional location of Pharma Wernigerode GmbH

Pharma Wernigerode GmbH is a company of the Aristo Pharma Group, which was founded in 2008 by several medium-sized German pharmaceutical companies. The company has production facilities in Berlin, Hilden and Madrid. Since 2015, esparma Pharma Services GmbH, which functions as a central distribution location, has been operating at the gates of the state capital of saxony-Anhalt in Osterweddingen. On a total area of 100,000m² and equipped with the latest plant technology, the core competencies of this location lie in the storage and commissioning of finished pharmaceuticals. At the Wernigerode location 165 employees work on 4000 m² of production and 450 m² of laboratory space. Decades of proven herbal medicinal products are produced here.

IMG spoke with Dr. Uwe Teubert, Site Manager of Pharma Wernigerode GmbH

Pharma Wernigerode can look back on more than 120 years of history. What were the beginnings of the company?

The beginnings of the company can be traced back to 1896, when the pharmacist Johannes Bürger began researching the red thimble (digitalis purpurea) for cardiac therapy. His goal was to stabilize the effect of digitalis formulations with preparations containing standardized fresh plant extracts. With his scientifically founded and exploitable research successes, Bürger founded the future Johannes Bürger Ysatfabrik GmbH together with the pharmacist Weinhagen in 1903 under the name "Chemisches Laboratorium Wernigerode am Harz, Bürger und Weinhagen". After the retirement of the pharmacist Weinhaben and continuing successes in research, development and production of an increasingly wide range of fresh plant preparations, the premises for production are expanded and the trademark is protected - the standard of the laboratory operation is left and the company is renamed to "Pharmacist Johannes Bürger, factory of pharmaceutical preparations". Through further stations, the laboratory has developed into a medium-sized pharmaceutical company, which today occupies a firm place in the industrial landscape of Wernigerode and in the state of Saxony-Anhalt.

Where is the Aristo Group now in 2018?

Today Pharma Wernigerode GmbH is a modern pharmaceutical company that specialises within the Aristo Group in the production and packaging of extracts, liquid pharmaceuticals, creams and ointments. Our flagship products are various herbal medicinal products marketed under the Kamillan, Sedariston or Paveriwern brand names, for example. Currently, around 260 different products and packaging sizes are manufactured at the site.

Why did one merge with several small and medium-size enterprises to Aristo Pharma group?

The advantage of the merger lies in particular in the fact that each company in the Aristo Group specialises in one area and can thus offer a broad range of drugs under the Aristo brand as a whole. A big advantage lays in the common company culture, so to speak the Aristo family, whereby the individual locations support each other and pursue a common goal. Last but not least, this will also strengthen the economic strength of the company as a whole.

Synergies between the individual locations result, for example, in a uniform quality policy, the bundling of purchases and the wide range of different drugs and services under one company logo. Last but not least, the integration of Pharma Wernigerode into the Aristo group will also increase awareness of the drugs manufactured here, not only in Germany but also in other markets such as Russia, Belarus and the Ukraine.

Pharma Wernigerode is a medium-sized company in the Harz mountains. What are the advantages of this location?

It is a historic decision to locate this site in Wernigerode, also favoured by the natural occurrence of the drug plant thimble (digitalis purpurea). The discovery of the foxglove, or more precisely its effect, started the first small manufacturing processes in order to obtain the extract for cardiac active drugs. Later, the portfolio was expanded to include products and herbal extracts.

The location is also very central in Germany, with good connections to the transport network. On the one hand we find qualified employees and a good infrastructure; on the other hand Wernigerode - especially through the Harz National Park - is a friendly and liveable region for families.

Salutas Pharma

The world number one in biosimilats

Salutas Pharma GmbH, Barleben

Salutas Pharma GmbH ranks among the most modern, efficient pharmaceutical production and logistics centres in Europe, and is one of the most important companies and employers in Saxony-Anhalt. The Salutas range of products comprises solid peroral medicinal products, including medication for use in cancer therapy. Around 300 pharmaceutical agents are processed into approx. 15,500 different finished goods.

In the group of companies of the Sandoz Group, Salutas produces for the German market (Hexal, 1 A Pharma) and affiliated companies in over 75 countries as well as an independent subsidiary company also on behalf of third-party clients.

Alongside production plants with the best available technology, Salutas has highly modern plants for quality control and microbiology. Purchasing and distribution are also handled internally and round off the complete range of services. Salutas annually produces around 8 billion capsules and tablets for Sandoz and exports to about 75 countries worldwide.

Salutas Pharma GmbH, Osterweddingen

The plant in Osterweddingen is specialised in the manufacture and packaging of semi-solid dosage forms (ointments, creams and gels) and in the production of low-dose hormone tablets especially as a centre of excellence, and mainly supplies the markets in Germany, Eastern and Western Europe. 250 different medicinal products are produced on the basis of approx. 25 pharmaceutical active ingredients.

Three packaging lines for semi-solid forms, a line for the manufacture of tablets and three plants for ointment production - a plant for the production of semi-solid dosage forms, one for semi-solid forms and one for the production of tablets are in operation in Osterweddingen. In 2013, 825 tons of semi-solid forms were produced which were packaged into 20 million tubes of ointments, creams and gels. Furthermore, approx. 650 million tablets were produced.

mibe GmbH

Quality medicines from the heart of Germany

mibe GmbH Arzneimittel is a high-performance, medium-sized pharmaceutical manufacturer that has been developing and manufacturing quality preparations in an ultra-modern pharmaceutical plant in the Leipzig/Halle area since 2003. Almost all products that the Dermapharm Group sells are produced there. In doing so, we are clearly committed to Germany as a business location.

Dermapharm AG, based in Grünwald, is a family-run company with several subsidiaries. A "subsidiary" of this is mibe GmbH Arzneimittel with over 400 employees.

The mibe range of products includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines in various indication areas, such as gynaecologicals, systemic corticoids, vitamins, local anaesthetics, ophthalmic therapeutics, bone metabolism preparations, cardiovascular products. But medical devices and cosmetics are also part of the product range.

Green fuels

Technology leader Verbio AG promotes the bio-economy in Germany and worldwide

A considerable amount of the biofuels produced each year in Germany come from Saxony-Anhalt, or, more precisely, from Bitterfeld and Zörbig. Biodiesel, bioethanol, biomethane and pharmaceutical glycerine are produced in innovative processes at the state-of-the-art refineries of VERBIO Vereinigte BioEnergie AG. In this way, the company is making a significant contribution to the expansion of sustainable mobility in the future. VERBIO is also strengthening the regional agricultural sector on the basis of closed cycles and advanced technologies. The innovative, engaged company focuses on maximum sustainability in the production of biofuel – and successfully so.

Future prospects for all things bio

The first biodiesel plant of VERBIO was commissioned in Bitterfeld in 2001. The company now produces more than 722,000 tonnes of biofuels every year at four locations in Germany. VERBIO accounts for approximately 30% of the biodiesel and bioethanol on the German market for biofuels. In the case of biomethane as a fuel, they are the only notable manufacturer in Germany, and have a market share of roughly 90%. In this respect, some 580 employees dedicate themselves to the active protection of the environment on a daily basis. After all, according to the company's founder and executive director, Claus Sauter: "Without the integration of conventional and advanced biofuels which is open to the use of new technology, the climate targets for 2030 and the CO₂ limits for trucks and buses won’t be achievable."

In addition to electric mobility and other approaches, sustainably-produced biofuels form an important building block in the de-carbonisation of transport. It therefore comes as no surprise that VERBIO is planning additional steps to expand its technological leadership in these areas and to strengthen the company's levels of efficiency. In this respect, bio is the clear future prospect.

Ongoing optimisation for sustainability

Together with the current executive director (COO) for biodiesel, with the inception of the Bitterfeld plant in 2001, Theodor Niesmann, the co-founder and current member of the supervisory board of VERBIO, Dr. Eng. Georg Pollert, established a highly efficient process for the production of biodiesel. In the course of the ongoing optimisation of the technology and the installations, the focus is on improving the CO₂ efficiency of the biodiesel and increasing the efficiency regarding the use of the raw materials. The objective is to contribute to ecologically and economically efficient mobility on the basis of innovative biofuel technologies.

In the shape of the highly specialised Swiss technology company XiMo AG, VERBIO has acquired an expert with whom new markets and business segments are to be developed. The key in-house developments and technologies have been patented. In this context, what are known as metathesis catalysts are being developed which will enable the production of biogenic raw materials for specialist chemicals, agrochemicals, flavours and fragrances, as well as lubricants and cleaning agents. This will provide the basis for the further diversification of VERBIO's product range.

Exporting knowledge: investments in the USA and India – responding to global demand

The plants operated by VERBIO are proprietary developments. The technologies come from the company's own research and development department and its in-house plant design team. At the company's pilot plant for biomethane at its location in Zörbig, for example, new raw materials are specifically tested in fermenters with a fermentation volume of up to 600 l, and the optimum parameters are determined in long-term tests. Particular attention is paid to optimising the unique technology for the production of biomethane, 100% of which is made with the use of straw. The 100-90-0 formula applies to the production of biomethane by VERBIO: 100% straw and a 90% reduction in CO₂ with 0% use of food raw materials. This knowledge from Saxony-Anhalt is now being exported, with the construction of new biomethane plants for straw in the USA and India. The new plants are an initial step towards internationalisation and VERBIO's response to the increasing worldwide demand for first- and second generation biofuels.

An holistic approach & the dual use of raw materials

The sustainable and efficient approach to natural resources and the environment form part of the VERBIO company philosophy. In this respect, all of its developments are planned on an holistic basis. An increased focus is to be made on the use of raw materials which, either as waste or surplus products, are not able to fulfil any other tasks. The waste products from the production processes should be as recyclable as possible. The alcohol-free mash produced during the production of bioethanol, known as stillage, is processed and marketed as animal feed for the agricultural sector, for instance. The bio-refinery plants at the Schwedt and Zörbig locations are also capable of refining the resulting slurry into biomethane and organic fertiliser. On this basis, VERBIO achieves a double utilisation of the raw material used and a 90% conversion into energy in the form of bioethanol and biomethane.

The glycerine produced during the production of biodiesel is further refined into a high-quality product for the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries, and the product of sterol is obtained from the rapeseed oil which is used as a raw material; this, in turn, is used as a dietary supplement for the reduction of cholesterol.

The progress continues: development, innovation, skilled specialists

Halfway through the year, VERBIO is to commission the third expansion stage of the production of sterol in Bitterfeld and therefore become one of the biggest producers of sterol on the world market. With these approaches, the creation of value and efficiency within the company are to be increased.

The fact that the company relies on know-how in its own team also contributes to the following: it is a company in which chemical technicians and laboratory assistants are trained and find future prospects. Postgraduate courses are offered to employees as part-time courses of study. The research and development also takes place in-house.

Crop Energies

CropEnergies Bioethanol GmbH

At the Zeitz location, CropEnergies Bioethanol GmbH runs a bioethanol plant with a capacity of around 400,000 m³ of bioethanol, more than 300,000 tons of protein animal feed and 100,000 tons of liquefied CO₂ a year. Along with fuel alcohol, 60,000 m³ can be refined to high-purity neutral alcohol here every year. The bioethanol plant in Zeitz can process more than 750,000 tons of grain and sugar syrups annually from up to 1,000,000 tons of sugar beets.

Nordzucker

Nordzucker AG

Sugar beets as raw material: The sugar-containing juices raw juice, thick juice and molasses produced from the beet by the sugar factory are used for bioethanol production. These juices can be fermented and therefore used for bioethanol production without further treatment. Raw juice is processed during the sugar beet campaign from September to January, while thick juice and molasses are used outside this period. The animal feed vinasse containing protein is generated from non-sugar substances such as pectin, cellulose etc. present in the juices.

Casa Culina

Fallstein distillery - Award-winning organic products

Casa Culina presses rapeseed, walnuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds into precious oils which have already been awarded the culinary star, explicitly for the organic walnut oil.

More than 600 private walnut trees supply the family business in Rohrsheim with nuts from ecologically controlled cultivation. With temperatures under 42 degrees Celsius, the select fruit kernels are pressed and bottled carefully after the harvest. The organic fine oil is characterised by its distinct walnut aroma.

Verbio Ethanol

Verbio Ethanol Zörbig GmbH & Co. KG

VERBIO Ethanol Zörbig was the first location in Germany to start the production of bioethanol for use in fuels in September 2004. It was developed with the company’s expertise, and still sets the standard for raw material and cost-efficient biofuel production today.

Over 270,000 tons of rye, triticale and wheat are used here annually for production. The modern and energy-efficient plant produces ethanol with a purity level of over 99.8%.

Verbio Diesel

Verbio Diesel Bitterfeld GmbH & Co. KG

The first biodiesel plant of VERBIO AG was opened in the Bitterfeld-Wolfen Chemical Park (Saxony-Anhalt) in October 2001. With an original production capacity of 150,000 tons, it was the largest biodiesel plant in Europe. The production capacity and the performance of the plant was further increased in the next few years. The procedure for the transesterification of plant oil was developed by Dr.-Ing. Georg Pollert, co-founder of VERBIO AG, especially for the GmbH. This stands out for its high energy efficiency with a minimal usage of operating supplies. The production capacity is at 204,000 tons of biodiesel and 25,000 tons of pharma glycerine per year.

Bio-Oil Plants

Hallesche Bioölwerke GmbH

Hallesche Bioölwerke GmbH with headquarters in the port of Halle(Saale), a company of Ölwerke Halle GmbH, is a medium-sized manufacturer and supplier of eco-friendly biodiesel in the area of biodiesel, glycerine and oil production.  This is possible thanks to a highly efficient and unique technology which allows us to produce biodiesel from the raw material rapeseed oil as well as from used plant oils in a sustainable manner. With our 20 employees, we produce around 60,000 tons of biodiesel and 10,000 tons of glycerine in Halle every year. As a future-oriented company, we are an important partner in this market of many A and B corporations in the country and abroad for admixture.

Biomethane

Biomethananlage Erdeborn GmbH

The biomethane plant is designed in a substrate-flexible manner. According to the information provided, approx. 60 percent of corn, ten percent of grass, five percent of whole crop silage (WCS), 15 percent of sugar beet silage and ten percent chicken manure is fed into the biogas process. The CO2 emission reduction through the use of biogas will amount to approx. 13,000 tons every year.