Collaboration project develops wood-based solutions for hospital hygiene
Kiilto is involved in the two-year Sustainable Growth and Jobs 2014–2020 programme of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), which kicked off last autumn. The name of the project is Sami&Samu – this refers to the tackling of the microbial resistance problem at hospitals with wood-based substances and the replacement of plastics with bio-based materials.
“Hospital hygiene is an important part of Kiilto's Professional Cleanliness and Hygiene business area. Wood’s antimicrobial qualities have been known for a long time, and this project will produce important information on the potential applications in the hospital environment of compounds extracted from wood. We want to continuously develop new and more efficient solutions for our customers,” explains Kiilto's RDI Director, Oili Kallatsa.
The information we gain from this project can also be used in other sectors where microbes need to be controlled. Within the same project, we are also studying low-carbon materials made from renewable raw materials, which it is hoped may replace disposable equipment and packaging at hospitals. Materials made of renewable raw materials to replace plastics are an important part of the EU’s plastics strategy.
The project is coordinated by the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. Participants include the forestry industry and packaging companies, the Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences, and the new NOVA hospital currently under construction in Central Finland.
“This collaboration will enable us to offer the project the expertise we have accumulated as an important operator in the hygiene business. The research project focuses on important future opportunities for our business, and we want to be involved in the creation of well-being through sustainable solutions,” adds Kallatsa.
Read more about the project at VTT's website
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