Utilisation of renewable biomass and waste materials for production of environmental-friendly, bio-based composites

Switching to raw materials derived from renewable origins is a necessity to address the global challenges of climate change and population growth. Aim of the project is the development of environmental-friendly composites made from renewable biomass and waste. A product design associated with a recycling concept using renewable, bio-degradable, and formaldehyde-free adhesives and hydrophobic additives could strongly increase the amount of secondary raw material, and improve the performance and environmental profile of wood composites for furniture. Recent initiatives to increase resource use efficiency for the building sector involve the utilization of different waste materials in combination with different inexpensive inorganic binders for the manufacture of new structural blocks. Such possibilities will be further explored in the project by an interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral consortium of academic and industrial partners from Sweden and abroad. The specific objectives are to; (a) provide information on qualities and quantities of potential bio-based raw materials and waste (b) reveal optimum processing of the materials for sustainable added-value products (c) present examples of the lab and industrially produced bio-composites for furniture and construction (d) explore novel routes of bio-based raw materials and waste (e) demonstrate opportunities in manufacturing innovative eco-efficient products and disseminate the results to the scientific and industrial community.