One of the pilot projects in Saxony is the lavender project of the agricultural cooperative in Niesky/See.
As a drought-resistant plant, Lavender can help the company adapt to climate change. It is a basis for new products in Lusatia for which local value chains have yet to be established. Therefore, various actors from the region must be linked to cooperation in local value chains.
Our CIREVALC pilot project supports the lavender team in finding new products and partners. For example, for the further processing and use of the lavender and the process residues, but also for the development of educational and adventure tourism offers. In this way, potential customers are already learning a lot about the potential of lavender for the sustainable development and circular economy in the region.
CIREVALC presented its project activities and lavender based products at the Summer Assembly of the Saxon Economy to around 470 entrepreneurs and representatives of associations, clusters and politics in Chemnitz on May 30, 2024. This way we were able to obtain opinions from potential customers on the products and approached potential cooperation partners.
Furthermore, we were happy to see that the event caterer has consequently practiced circular solutions as well and so raised circularity awareness among the hungry participants.
Our lavender project will continue with an international cooperation with our Austrian partners. Business Upper Austria (BIZ-UP) provides of technologies and experience with producing paper from the residues of lavender processing. That technology could help closing the loop in the local value chain. We are looking forward to mastering that, together with our CIREVALC partners.