Aomori to sell sustainable seashell-scrap snow shovels, Shelltec.
Japan's Aomori Prefecture faces heavy snowfall, prompting the innovative Hotascoop shovel made from recycled scallop shells to tackle the problem.
Listen up! In Japan, especially along the Northwestern coast, the winters are no joke. Aomori Prefecture saw a staggering 139 centimeters (4.6 feet) of snow last January—three times the average! This is a full-on natural disaster, meaning a lot of shoveling is happening, which nobody enjoys. So, how do you make that miserable chore a little easier? Enter Hotascoop!
This innovative shovel is crafted from a new material called Shelltec, made by mixing recycled plastic, concrete, and the leftover calcium carbonate from discarded seashells—about 200,000 tonnes of scallop shells are wasted in Japan annually. The name Hotascoop cleverly combines "hotate" (scallop) and "scoop," but for the global market, let’s get someone on trademarking "Scalloop." Currently, it's just a concept from the Aomori Open Innovation Program 2024, aimed at tackling shell waste while boosting local business. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s make some magic happen with those shells!
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