ICEBOREA is a new way to tackle food spoilage and food waste. We re-purpose spent algal biomass to create a natural biopolymer in the form of an edible powder that when mixed with water is sprayed on fruits and vegetables to prevent oxidation and extend their shelf-life. It is a product anchored in a circular model which optimises the utilisation of resources.
ICEBOREA is an innovative transformation that creates value by allowing waste to re-enter the economy and become a valuable resource for production. Marea's algal-coating has the added advantage of contributing to increasing sustainability in the food sector, which is vital to the world´s economy.
Marea hlýtur Bláskelina fyrir framúrskarandi plastlausa lausn
In Iceland, start-up founders invent new ways to tackle environmental crises
Using micro-algal spent biomass to create a novel coating is a means to innovate in the re-utilisation of waste streams. We believe this is the way and the basis for a sustainable future.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are a call for action to transform our world. The SDG´s that resonate most deeply with the development of ICEBOREA and MAREA´s operations are the following:
Marea is the first company to tackle the development of algae-derived food coating by outsourcing its own raw material from re-utilization of algal-waste streams. Innovation is one of Marea´s drivers and is pervasive in the company's research and operations. This project is meant to act as a lever in research and innovation to support the development of a circular business model.
Marea stands on the premise that outsourcing algae sustainably and locally by innovating in re-utilization and alternative sources is the basis for the future of a decentralised and sustainable business model in the production of algae-based products.
Sustainable production and recycling mechanisms are considered to be strongly consistent with the policies set by the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations and the European Circular Economy Strategy (European Commission, 2018).
