PhD student Rainis Venta in a team of startup company ReLaDe won third price in Europe´s largest cleantech business ideas competition ClimateLaunchpad 2015.
A reusable laundry detergent system (ReLaDe)
Chemical detergents are toxic and harm reproductive health when spread into the water ecosystem. Instead of these toxic compounds, biological enzymes can be used without any loss of performance and with lower energy consumption.To address this issue, we use magnetic nanoparticles to bind enzyme molecules and magnetize them. The resulting magnetic detergent molecules can be easily removed from waste water via magnetic force and reused in subsequent wash cycles for months. Thus, we have redesigned the laundry detergent concept, creating a sustainable, reusable product which, if produced on an industrial scale and adopted into wide-spread use, could have significant positive health and environmental implications.