2024-07-23 09:30:13
What if we told you that your wall coverings could be made of corn instead of laminate? That’s the new product offered by two Dutch startups.
The European Commission predicts a steady growth in the use of bio-based materials in all industries. In this perspective, CornWall is a new interior wall covering for offices, retail and hospitality. It presents itself as an alternative to ceramic wall covering or other composite materials such as high-pressure laminate panels.
Made from corn cobs, the ears stripped of their grains, it is imagined by two Dutch startups: FRONT (formerly StoneCycling) and Circular Matters. These organic wastes are widely available and generally intended for combustion to obtain heat, digestion into biogas, or transformation into litter.
A 99% bio-based product with a low carbon impact
FRONT assures it in the sustainability statement of the product : ” Almost all other raw materials are also made from fast-growing biomass. Only small amounts of pigments and coating ingredients are not bio-based. This is how we achieve a bio-based percentage of over 99%. As soon as our pigment and coating suppliers have 100% bio-based products, we will immediately switch. »
The interest also lies in the low carbon impact of the product. To have precise figures, however, we will have to wait for its environmental product declaration (EPD), which the company hopes to obtain in the third quarter of this year. This regulatory document provides data on the environmental impact of construction materials.
Production in Belgium with European ears
CornWall is produced by Circular Matters in a workshop in Antwerp, Belgium, using a pressing process. By heating organic matter up to 150°C, the polymers in the biomass become activated and form strong bonds, resulting in a solid and stable end product, explains FRONT on its website. This heating process is electric, powered by sustainable energy, mainly from solar panels located on the roof of the production facility. The roof of the production line thus includes 2,106 solar panels generating approximately 600,000 kWh of electricity.
CornWall can be fixed to the wall without glue. These removable fixing systems allow customers to reuse it. In the future, we plan to set up a recycling system allowing the return of end-of-life products, advance FRONT. These tiles can then be ground and transformed 100% into a new product. “. The CornWall core collection is being prepared under the creative and strategic direction of Studio Nina van Bart. It will include one texture, eight colours and two sizes (600*600*4 mm and 300*600*4 mm). Other premium textures will follow.
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