We will revive the traditional craft and create opportunities for the development of innovative products

Invasive alien plants can be a more or less rich source of cellulose fibers. In the project we will explore the possibilities of their use for the production of paper and paper products. From the set of 7 different species, on the basis of chemical, morphological and mechanical analysis of woody biomass, we will select the 3 most suitable for use in paper industry. The selected types of biomass will first be delignified, and later processed into paper. The paper will be used for the production of information and educational material within the project and the development of new market-relevant paper products.

Since the traditional delignification process is one of the polluting process, we will also explore the possibility of biomass degradation by using enzymes.

A part of the obtained cellulose fibers will be transferred to the paper craftsman workshop, which we will buy from Vevče, d. o. o., thus reviving the traditional craft and creating opportunities for the development of innovative products. From the end of 2018, the workshop will be temporarily operating near the collection center at Povšetova 6.

We will present the process of hand papermaking to the public through a series of creative and didactic workshops that will take place in the workshop. When exploring biomaterials and designing simple paper products, residents will be able to learn about the useful values of invasive plants and discover the untapped potentials of this remarkable handicraft.