3rd Prize BIOPOLYMER Award 2024

Neo-plastic (Deutschland)

Innovation: CroPro© Biopolymer Wildlife Browsing Protection for Conifers

A tiny device with a lasting impact: Just 1.5 grams of bio-based and biodegradable plastic ensures that a young conifer can grow unhindered! Dubbed CroPro©, the "crown" protects the terminal shoot from wildlife damage. The jury was impressed by the combination of complex design, clever material selection, and the color, which also serves a function. Blue has a deterrent effect on wildlife.

Jury Statement: "Treetops" made of bioplastic for effective protection against wildlife browsing. At a time when reforestation of vast forest areas is the order of the day, this innovation from Middle Franconia is just what's needed: CroPro© protects the tips of young conifers against wildlife browsing – without leaving lasting traces in the forest and without incurring additional costs for forestry companies. The combination of biodegradable material, complex design, and functional coloring, developed through numerous test series and proven in practice, has been awarded another third prize in the 2024 BIOPOLYMER Innovation Award. With this, the jury also honors the exemplary cooperation of the three project partners: Neo-plastic Dr. Doetsch Diespeck GmbH, GLENPRO Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH, and KDS Kunststoffe-Dienstleistungen-Service.

Forestry workers can place the "crown," which weighs just 1.5 grams and is made of bio-based, biodegradable plastic, onto the treetops with one hand as they pass by – and then confidently leave it to itself. The "spikes" of the complexly shaped injection-molded part and the blue, animal-deterrent color prevent wild animals such as deer or stag from gnawing off the terminal shoot, the treetop, which is so important for the tree. The self-enclosing yet flexible shape of the delicate part prevents it from slipping due to wind and weather or being stripped off. CroPro's open structure prevents heat and moisture buildup, allows light and air to reach the bud, which is so important for rapid, straight tree growth, and expands as it grows. The "crown" performs its valuable service for about five to six years. When the tree is large enough and the terminal shoot is thus inaccessible to wildlife, it gradually decays. Unlike other protective measures, CroPro does not need to be adapted to tree growth or later collected for environmental reasons. Upon contact with the forest soil, the bioplastic is decomposed by microorganisms and degradation processes in a similar natural way to wood or straw.

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