HUNGRY ECOCITIES : Paths to progress Experiments
+ PROJECT
STRAW RETURN
STARAMAKI x Isaac Montè
SUMMARY
Information will follow soon.
“Isaac Monté’s expertise in material transformation and sustainable design offers a practical approach to addressing staramaki’s challenge of repurposing wheat byproducts. His proposal on developing scalable applications aligns with our commitment to sustainability and circularity.
Through this collaboration, we will explore innovative material solutions that strengthen our processes, advance the efficiency of our manufacturing model and contribute to greater resilience in our operations.”
Eleni Karagianniidou – COO, staramaki SCE
+ ARTIST
Isaac Montè
Netherlands
Fascinated by societal sustainability I am interested in unusual, new materials and how I can manipulate those. I see myself as a pioneer who, by means of combining technology, art and science, shows how art can contribute to a strategy of sustainable development.
+ SME
STARAMAKI
Biodegradable drinking straws
Kilkis, GREECE
Staramaki SCE, a social cooperative based in Kilkis, Greece, utilizes local wheat byproducts to create biodegradable drinking straws, offering a sustainable alternative to single-use plastic straws.
In response to the EU’s plastic straw ban, staramaki showcases how the circular economy can address environmental, social, and economic challenges. By transforming agricultural waste into valuable products, staramaki closes resource loops and creates a sustainable circular ecosystem.
Now in its fifth year, the cooperative has provided decent work for over 20 individuals, demonstrating a low income inequality.
Through strategic partnerships, collaboration with local farmers and participation in European programs, Staramaki promotes sustainable production and cultivation, combats land degradation in rural Greece and enhances its production capabilities, exemplifing the transition to a circular economy for a more sustainable future of the manufacturing sector as a whole.
The HungryEcoCities project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement 101069990.