International. A project that was born in 2013 and that has now been terminated is to give a new use to the olive pit: to produce original and sustainable coatings with its waste.
This project, with a patent, was achieved by the Spanish brand Paninos. Taking into account that the production planned in Spain for this campaign will be 800,000 tons of olive pit, practically 50% of world production, and almost all of it is currently destined to be burned as biomass, Paninos explained that there is abundant matter with which to work and, in addition, the positive circumstance that this is periodically generated naturally is added.
The inventors Francisco Arjona -technical architect- and Juan Cabello -carpenter- undertook to seek a new use for this olive residue to create more opportunities in the Andalusian rural environment in which they work, specifically in Benamejí (Córdoba).
"We started doing tests by attaching bone to wood. The day that something similar to what we have today appeared, we perceived that the bone was very plastic and acquired a very different appearance from the existing materials in decoration and had a great aesthetic potential; it was then that I thought we were facing a new finish, with multiple possibilities in terms of textures and designs and it is also renewable, sustainable and of great durability, "said Arjona.
Today, Paninos offers through an innovative procedure a novel coating, made from crushed bone that can be used to manufacture kitchen and bathroom furniture and other types, doors, wall coverings and more.
"You can generate more wealth from the olive grove, not everything is invented as we know, and this European patent is an example of that. Now it is time to start producing, being possible to have more entrepreneurs willing to participate in its development, "said Arjona, while specifying that this product offers multiple possibilities of color and designs.
