Israeli company Nova Milan opened its first Innovation Center in the Costa Rican city of Alajuela on Thursday, as part of a larger project to produce plant leather, sustainable fabrics and bioplastics from organic plant waste.
The goal of the project is to help Costa Rica's struggles with plant-based waste such as banana, coconut, yuca and pineapple, and use leftover agricultural products to produce these commodities.
Company founders Irma Orenstein and Karim Quazzani developed the technology to recycle agricultural waste into valuable products, including one of the world’s only nearly petroleum-free vegan leathers.
Oren Bar-El, Israeli Ambassador to Costa Rica, commended Nova Milan on the Center's opening.
"We are very proud to join efforts, based on Israeli innovation and technology, with the environmental commitment of Costa Rica, under the leadership and female entrepreneurship from Israel, with women from the Caribbean area," Bar-El said.
Pedro Beirute, Chairman of Procomer, a government agency responsible for promoting Costa Rica's goods and services, expressed excitement about Nova Milan's operations in the his country.
"We're very excited to have Nova Milan in our country. Nova Milan Is an innovative company that is helping build Costa Rica's position to the world as a sustainable green country that does business with purpose and consciousness. This is a great milestone not just for Costa Rica, but also for humanity,” Beirute said.