In the heart of the Langhe, where Mondo has its roots and where one of the world's most recognized Italian delicacies—the Piedmont Hazelnut PGI—is born, an idea that combines tradition and innovation is taking shape.
What you may not know is that even hazelnut byproducts can be transformed into innovative and sustainable materials, with applications extending all the way to sports surfaces.
It is precisely from this connection to the local area that NINSOLA was born, a project that aims to give new life to what would normally be considered waste.
Husks, perisperm, leaves, flours, and oils: hazelnut processing generates numerous byproducts.
With NINSOLA, these materials are recovered and transformed through advanced processes to obtain green ingredients with high added value.
The result? New solutions for sectors as diverse as cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and even technical materials, like sports flooring.
One part of the project looks specifically at the world of rubber and industrial materials.
Elements such as granules, oils, polyphenols, and lignin derived from hazelnuts can replace traditional components, helping to make products more sustainable.
This is where Mondo comes into play: within the project, the company contributes to the development and validation of these new solutions, providing its expertise in the design of high-performance materials for applications in the production of sports and technical flooring.
A concrete move towards increasingly innovative materials, without compromising performance and reliability.
Another perhaps lesser-known aspect: sustainability isn't declared, it's measured.
This is why the project includes a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study, which analyzes the environmental impact throughout the life cycle of the developed solutions.
NINSOLA demonstrates how it's possible to transform a traditional supply chain into an opportunity for innovation.
Reducing waste, leveraging local resources, and developing new materials: it all starts with a different approach to what already exists.
And yes, even from a hazelnut.