Australia: Marinova's new green investment

Marinova Pty Ltd is a privately-owned biotechnology company located in Tasmania, and specialising in producing organic-certified fucoidan extracts for inclusion into a range of applications, including food, nutraceutical, skincare and pharmaceutical. These products are extracted from a number of brown seaweed species which are harvested in Tasmania (Australia), Nova Scotia (Canada), and Patagonia (South America). The gentle Maritech extraction process consistently produces high purity minimally-processed fucoidans, which are free of residual solvents and other impurities, and has been certified organic by Tasmanian Organic Dynamic Producers and Australian Certified Organic.

As part of Marinova’s commitment to making minimal impact on its environment, the company makes the most of its resource by minimizing waste. The by-products coming from Marinova’s processing operations have been converted into nutrient-rich, organic-certified additives for use as potting mix in the horticultural sector.  By using the whole seaweed in a productive way, Marinova has been able to develop products for diverse market sectors and ensure environmentally-sustainability across all of its operations.
 

In November 2009, Marinova launched Fucorich, the world-first organic-certified fucoidan ingredient developed especially for functional beverages. The known health benefits of fucoidan include supporting the immune system, and controlling blood sugar levels when managing weight loss. In addition, the mannitol component of Fucorich helps to curb glucose rises in the blood and reduce fluid accumulation. In December 2009, Marinova announced it will further cut its greenhouse gas emissions and reduce its environmental footprint. This green initiative, which includes the installation of Australia's largest commercial water conditioning system and a reverse osmosis plant into Marinova's processing facility, is a testimony of Marinova’s commitment to environmental sustainability across all of its operations. The investment will result in annual reductions of total energy use by 92,000 kilowatt hours, cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 21 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, and recycling of 50 % of water usage.

Marinova