Snowfarming, glacier and water protection with plastic-free insulating and reflective nonwoven

Novura GlacierProtect

is an insulating and reflective nonwoven made from 100% biodegradable, mechanically bonded nonwoven Secutex® Green, Novura‘s nonwoven made exclusively from renewable raw materials. Its properties sustainably delay the melting of snow deposits and glacier surfaces. Due to the certified biodegradability under the influence of all relevant environmental conditions, the residues of the product do not harm the environment.


Novura GlacierProtect is UV-resistant. This makes the nonwoven ideal for outdoor use in mountainous regions.

Typical applications for Novura GlacierProtect

Snowfarming

Due to its thickness and high reflectivity, Novura GlacierProtect is very well suited as a top layer in snow farming. This involves storing and covering old snow in snow depots over the summer. With the help of snow farming, skiing operations in mountainous regions are to be secured in the long term by adding stored snow to the basic snowmaking system. Novura GlacierProtect consists of natural raw materials and is therefore naturally very resistant to solar radiation.

Glacier Protection

With Novura GlacierProtect, sensitive glacier areas can be protected from further melting, thus significantly delaying glacier melt. A test in the Austrian Alps showed a reduction in the melting of about 4m in 3 summer months of 2022. Supports of cable cars or ski lifts founded in ice can be protected from excessive solar radiation with Novura GlacierProtect, significantly extending the life of these infrastructure facilities.

Protection of entry and exit areas on lifts

Snow areas, which winter sports enthusiasts heavily use, can be protected in an environmentally friendly way with Novura GlacierProtect. These can be, for example, areas near ski huts as well as entry and exit areas at ski lifts. Novura GlacierProtect can be rolled out on the snow. If the nonwoven fabric freezes to the snow, the risk of the cover lifting off due to wind suction is reduced. Any abrasion or residue from Novura GlacierProtect, for example, from fibres freezing in the snow, is converted into natural substances in nature and metabolised by naturally occurring microorganisms.

Advantages of Novura GlacierProtect

made of Secutex® Green
  • Very high reflection values (80% light, 75% energy)
  • High thermal insulation due to the thickness of the product
  • Breathable
  • Less wind suction due to air permeability and roughness of the surface
  • No input of plastic into the environment during installation, operation or deconstruction
  • Stable against UV radiation
  • Frictional connection by sewing on site
  • The yarn to be used is also 100% biodegradable – even in nature

The functional life

Due to the low biological activity in glacier protection applications and snow farming, repeated use can be assumed. However, if the degree of pollution is too high and the reflectivity is too strongly impaired, the nonwoven fabric should be replaced with a new one. The already used and therefore stressed nonwoven can be composted, thermally recycled or covered with soil. It is converted 100% into biomass, CO2 and water. In all disposal paths, only as much CO2 is released as the biomass bound from the environment during its creation (plant growth).

The nonwoven

Due to the industrial production of the fibres and the constant needling process, a consistent and reproducible quality
of the nonwoven fabric is achieved. Novura GlacierProtect is available with a mass per unit area of 500g/m² and a width of 4 metres. Other weights per unit area and widths are available on request.

The connection technology

The nonwoven can be sewn on-site with sewing machines suitable for thick nonwovens, also in battery operation. The thread used consists of the same raw material as the fibres and is completely biodegradable. This way, there is no entry of plastics into the sensitive areas of the places of use.

Sustainability

Reduced transport emissions and improved CO2 balance.

Biodegradable

Certified degradability both in industrial and home composting as well as under suitable conditions in the environment.

Renewable raw materials

Use of exclusively organic, natural and renewable raw materials.

Metabolisable

Processing of the organic nonwoven geotextile by soil organisms, microorganisms and fungi.
Estimated preservation of service life according to application and expectable environmental conditions

confirms the conformity of the product with Euronorm EN 13432, „Requirements for the recovery of packaging by composting and biodegradation“.

guarantees complete biodegradability in garden compost.
guarantees biodegradability in an industrial composting plant.
guarantees biodegradation in a natural freshwater environment.

guarantees complete degradation in natural soil.

 
guarantees biodegradability in a natural seawater environment.