NATURAL WAX OF ARCTIC BERRIES AS OUR TREASURE

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The annual industrial demand for wax is around one million tonnes, only 3 % is covered by natural waxes and 97 % are synthetic waxes produced from non-renewable sources. Compared to synthetic alternatives, natural wax is produced from renewable natural resources that reduce CO2 emissions and promote sustainable development. Natural waxes also show a balanced composition and appear in many applications much better than their synthetic counterparts. Due to their exceptional properties, these natural waxes are often used in food, cosmetics, household, packaging and pharmaceutical products. In the Arctic region and in Scandinavia there is an excellent natural resource in berry wax that is currently not utilised. Natural wax extraction provides opportunities to develop new business operations and commercialisation of new products. The main goal of the project is to develop methods for the extraction of the wax found in the shell of lingonberries and blueberries as well as from the bee and waste streams of the berry industry. The project will also systematically investigate the business potential of natural wax. A northern pure natural product provides strong added value in marketing. This is also likely to increase interest in the more efficient use of berries than the current 5-10 % currently utilised by the annual fruit harvest. The project benefits from the expertise of project partners in Finland, Sweden and Norway in various areas such as plant biology and genetics, berry industry, biocomposite technology, chemical and physical analysis and processing. The project contributes to smart specialisation because the berries explicitly represent an Arctic natural resource.

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