Husks are produced during the husking process of spelt grains in the mills. In contrast to wheat, the grains of spelt are firmly attached to the husk, which protects them from environmental influences. This must be removed in appropriate dehulling or hulling plants before grinding into flour. (Hulling) mills still have no use for the nutrient-free husks. As husks have a low density and therefore a high volume, they are pelletised in large milling plants and/or used as bedding. A small proportion is used as pillow filling, for which the husks must first be cleaned. Currently, the most common utilisation is by feeding it into biogas or incineration plants, which generates energy.

No. Even if the intact husks look like wholemeal, they are inedible and contain no nutritional value. As husks are a by-product of processing the husked grain that is grown anyway, no additional agricultural land needs to be cultivated. As a rule, husks are also not used for animal feed production. One exception is the admixture in feed for ruminating livestock.

We are currently focussing on the use of spelt hulls, as these are produced regionally in large quantities and can be sourced with short transport routes. In this regard, we are in contact with three regional spelt husk mills from the Ländle region. Here alone, the residue is produced in large quantities throughout the year (approx. 1 tonne per day and mill). In larger husking plants, e.g. those operated by producer organisations, even larger quantities are produced. In Germany alone, up to 125,000 tonnes of spelt husks are produced every year, a large proportion of which is produced in the south-west. Spelt, the ‘speltised’ and healthier form of wheat, has recently made a comeback in organic farming and is now even considered a trend grain in many places. Its favourable, resistant growing conditions, its robustness and the health benefits of spelt will continue to make it ideal for regional cultivation in the future. However, residues from other spelt grains (e.g. rice, millet, buckwheat, oats) are also suitable for the production of our padding material, which enables sensible scaling in the medium term through decentralised production sites wherever protective packaging is required for fragile goods and corresponding residues are produced.

No, the grain is stored with the husks and dehusked during the year. However, some mills only de-husk on days when the weather is good.

We only use organic ingredients for our binding agent so that the composite remains easily degradable. We use different formulations, but the exact composition remains our trade secret.

Our material is both biodegradable and industrially compostable. This was tested at the end of 2023 in a conventional composting plant at AVEA Entsorgungsbetriebe GmbH & Co. KG at the end of 2023. As all ingredients are authorised for conventional plants according to the German Biowaste Ordinance (see question about the binding agent), a test was not absolutely necessary, but was of interest to us. It is important to us that our material composts within the specified time of 6 weeks so that it does not disrupt plant operation. This is one of the core problems associated with bio-based plastics. The summary of the results can be viewed here.

Depending on the formulation, our material has good resistance to moisture and humidity. In a test over seven days at a relative humidity of 70%, no visible mould growth was observed. However, if the material is exposed to very high humidity or moisture over a longer period of time, the decomposition processes start and mould can form.

Depending on the size of the moulded parts, the entire production process takes between 6 and 8 hours under current conditions. A significant increase in efficiency can be expected through scaling and automation.

In principle, there are few limits to moulding. However, demoulding from more complicated negative moulds is currently still a challenge. In addition, the wall thickness should not be less than 1 cm. As spelt husks are larger than EPS spheres, only edge radii of 2-3 mm or more can be moulded. Thicker blocks/sheets/moulded parts that are wider than 5-10 cm pose a challenge in the drying process, as uniform drying must be ensured right through to the inside.

We are currently working on the design of an industrial system. We are taking inspiration from existing plant components, e.g. from the food processing industry. We expect to put the industrial plant into operation in 2025.

The material has an average density of around 130 to 180 kg/m³. This varies slightly depending on the formulation of the selected binder.

RECOU is currently being produced in small batches using our pilot plant with the aid of manual process steps. After scaling up production using an industrial production plant, we would like to achieve a price of 130% compared to the current EPS price (corresponds to 100% here).

The thermal conductivity of the packaging cushions is currently around 0.052 W/m•K with the current mixture but will be further optimized for potential use as an insulation material. To our knowledge, EPS ranges between 0.02 and 0.04 W/m•K.

We have been committed from the very beginning to thoroughly understanding the ecological impact of our material in order to verify the hypothesis of its environmental benefits and reliably quantify them to the best of our ability. To make RECOU comparable to other materials, we have been in contact with various companies and research institutes specializing in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of materials and products since the pre-foundation phase. However, all our efforts so far have led to unreliable and quickly outdated results. To make truly reliable and scientifically robust statements, a wide range of indicators must be considered using methodologically demanding approaches, and uniform, well-founded assumptions must be established. Since a serious LCA with peer review ( A ) requires a significant investment (between €30,000 and €50,000) and ( B ) our processes are still in development, making major changes likely, we feel compelled to address this topic in more detail once our production process has been fully established. Of course, we will keep you updated on this matter as best as we can!

The gluten-containing components (grain kernels) are separated from the surrounding husks during the dehulling process. These husks form the raw material for our packaging solutions. This means that our material poses no risk to individuals with celiac disease, as long as it is not consumed, which is not its intended use. Nevertheless, we have reached out to the German Celiac Society (Deutsche Zöliakie-Gesellschaft e.V.) for further clarification and received the following response:
‘We assume that your packaging material does not pose an obvious risk for individuals with celiac disease. As a filling material, we expect that the packaged contents do not come into contact with the husks, a dry environment is maintained, and no migration occurs, unlike biodegradable single-use tableware made from gluten-containing sources, which is used to serve open food.’ Additionally, we are in the process of obtaining an expert opinion on the material from the German Allergy and Asthma Association (Deutscher Allergie- und Asthmabund e.V.). As soon as we have updates on this matter, we will gladly keep you informed!