Banana breakthrough debuts in Europe 5 November 2009 Pioneering company Papyrus Australia has received its first orders after successfully launching its breakthrough banana tree veneer and fibre products in Europe.
ASX-listed Papyrus last month unveiled its Beleaf-branded banana veneer and banana fibre board products at the Monaco Yacht Show, Europe’s top trade show for furniture, internal fittings, flooring and other architectural products.
Beleaf is the registered trademark for a branded range of water-resistant, fire-retardant veneer and fibre products manufactured from banana trees using Papyrus’ patent-protected technology.
Papyrus’ successful European launch at Monaco generated widespread media coverage due to the environmentally sustainable nature of the Papyrus process and the unique qualities of the banana veneer and banana fibre board products.
The Monaco event provided a high visibility platform for Papyrus’ European agent, 3W Tout Bois, which has compiled an initial Beleaf veneer portfolio, comprising Beleaf veneer samples graded by colour and ply.
Products are available to customers through the Beleaf website at www.beleaf.tm.mc.
Papyrus Australia chairman Ted Byrt describes the response from design professionals and the public at Monaco as outstanding.
“People attending the exhibition were astounded by Beleaf’s fire retardant and water resistant qualities which we demonstrated at the exhibition,” he says.
“They were also impressed by the quality and variety of the Beleaf veneer products. 3W Tout Bois has already received orders for Beleaf veneer.
"We are now assembling at Walkamin for delivery to Europe in the coming weeks.”
Papyrus Australia is a pioneering Australian technology company that has developed and deployed innovative manufacturing techniques to turn former waste materials from banana plantations into high value veneer and fibre products.
The company’s prototype production plant at Walkamin, in Queensland, is already delivering a range of veneer and fibre products as a demonstration of the commercial viability of the technology.
As well as the superior strength and performance qualities of Beleaf products, they deliver a significant environment dividend by creating high-value products from the waste materials of banana crops, which would otherwise release large amounts of climate-damaging methane gas as they break down.
Although packaging is not the company’s immediate commercial focus, Papyrus says there are some very promising packaging applications of the technology.
Papyrus is seeking packaging manufacturers who can exploit the benefits of its breakthrough banana fibre packaging technology.
The company cites CSIRO tests indicating that 100 per cent banana paper is much more water resistant – that it has a lower water vapour transmission rate than many traditional packaging materials.
Other CSIRO tests show packaging-grade papers that contain 20 per cent of banana fibre indicate a 23 per cent increase in tensile strength as well as 10 per cent increase in freeness – drainage – when making the paper. This means greater productive capacity or lower costs.
Wooden packaging products in panel form made from banana trees also demonstrate remarkable fire, moisture and UV resistance qualities.
Papyrus Australia managing director Ramy Azer says the company’s banana fibre production process could deliver significant benefits for the packaging sector.
“With packaging, our bottleneck is volume,” he says. “That’s a hurdle we don’t want to jump now.”
However Papyrus is looking for packaging companies who are willing to licence its technology to deliver high-volume supplies to the packaging market.
These environmental advantages of Papyrus products were highlighted at the Monaco Yacht Show where a collection of furniture and decorative veneer products, made by leading Italian and French designers, using Beleaf veneer instead of timber veneer were on show.
Other products on show included decorative flooring and wall panel products, made by a leading Belgian factory utilising Beleaf, and banana fibre board products suitable for use in flooring, wall panels and acoustic ceiling tiles made by Papyrus in Australia.
Papyrus Australia also used its European launch to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, which seeks to act as an accelerator of projects that aid the environment.
The aim of the agreement is to promote the use of Papyrus’ environmentally sustainable technologies and products worldwide, and especially to work to introduce these technologies to countries where there is significant banana production.
For more, visit www.papyrusaustralia.com.au or www.beleaf.tm.mc
PPY Price at posting:
42.0¢ Sentiment: Buy Disclosure: Held
