ROSEMARY – UK cultivation of Rosemary to provide the raw materials for development of a new genre of bio-based antioxidants: LINK Project Summary

This factsheet outlines the results of work funded through the Renewable Materials LINK Programme to investigate the cultivation of rosemary to provide the raw materials for new bio-based antioxidants.

Antioxidants (AOs) are vital constituents of a broad range of materials. The wider use of renewable materials is creating an opportunity for natural antioxidants and their derivatives to replace synthetic antioxidants.

The ROSEMARY project examined aspects of the value chain for the synthesis and testing of high quality, environmentally-sustainable AOs from rosemary, grown and processed in the UK.

Results proved that it was possible to substitute existing synthetic AOs with bio-based alternatives. They also demonstrated that in some products rosemary derived AOs will be more effective than those made synthetically.

The project helped enable a totally green supply chain for lubricants, cosmetics and health care products. It also demonstrated that it was possible to manufacture 100% bio-based packaging materials.