Bringing a new life to industrial waste in construction applications

ended

MDF is used in large quantities by the construction industries, 2.5 million m3in 2015, but it is currently unrecyclable. We at Biprocel have developed an eco-sustainable, functional and design material, called EcoMDF that can be used as a direct substitute for MDF in construction. It is made from cellulosic waste generated by the paper industry that would otherwise be sent to landfill or burnt. EcoMDF is 100% recyclable. When its use has come to an end, it can be recycled an unlimited number of times within the same manufacturing process, hence assuring its sustainability throughout its whole life-cycle (cradle-to-cradle). This is particularly relevant for green buildings. What is more, it has excellent technical properties. EcoMDF is water resistant, flame resistant, a natural sound insulator and durable. Having successfully completed a feasibility study, we will now use the SME instrument phase 2 to scale up production of EcoMDF to an industrial level and to demonstrate the characteristics of the new material to the construction industry. After the project, we will establish EcoMDF production facilities as joint ventures with paper mills. This will allow us to increase our production capacity and our impact, reaching expected revenues of 37M€ by 2025, with 3 production facilities employing 50 staff.