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localised as much as possible, to minimise associated transport emissions, especially in areas with a lot of construction activity. This captures the HONEXT vision in a nutshell; to upcycle waste fibres locally, enabling the circular economy for the built environment, globally.
CRADLE TO CRADLE
Cradle to Cradle certification is the most ambitious and actionable global standard yet for developing products that are safe, circular, and responsibly made. The certification process analyses and optimises aspects linked to material health, product circularity, clean air and climate protection, water and soil stewardship, and social fairness. Beyond simply reducing waste and minimising its ecological footprint, the idea behind the HONEXT board is much bigger. The company aims to develop the next generation flame retardant fibreboard using waste as raw material, which can be reused (upcycling instead of downcycling) that can also be recycled at the end of its life, making it 100% circular.
Cradle to Cradle goes further than the three Rs principle (recycle, reuse, and reduce). This recognition has a deeper scope, as it focuses on the industrial production process and ensures that sustainability is practiced at the corporate level, in addition to protecting customers, communities and the environment. The Cradle to Cradle concept intends to integrate a circular economy approach, which includes an evaluation of material health, material realisation, renewable energy and carbon management, water stewardship and social fairness. Currently, HONEXT boards are Cradle to Cradle certified silver. With its new product launch it is waiting for the final confirmation of certification level, which is expected to be gold.
Designers, architects, and builders are rethinking construction approaches, bringing in circular construction practices along with the choice of innovative and sustainable materials for their projects. The aim step-by-step is to make a complete transition to a circular economy, based on the Cradle to Cradle school of thought and design. According to the principal ‘the nutrient remains nutrient’, all materials used should be able to circulate permanently in one of the two cycles.
At the beginning of the design process, all constructions should already be designed to be circular and demountable. Additionally, they should be collectable and separable by type of material, to allow upcycling at the end of the material’s life.
This philosophy is a part of the DNA of HONEXT and its products are certified as ‘Circular by Design’ by Cradle to Cradle , which makes them a front runner in the
interior building materials market in general and in the panel category in particular.
THE FUTURE
The life cycle analysis (LCA) of HONEXT boards also brings fascinating results with the most recent calculations showing that the product could possibly be carbon negative, from cradle to gate, rather than carbon neutral, thanks to using only waste as raw material, and producing in a closed loop system.
Proving the product carbon negative could have real value as decarbonisation of a building’s life cycle is a hot topic in the building industry right now. Also, as carbon trading becomes an important feature of our commercial world now and into the future, the trading of carbon credits can help companies and the world meet ambitious goals for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. Production of HONEXT boards continues to be refined in the pilot plant just outside Barcelona and investment has been made leading to modifications of the forming unit in January 2023, which has led to a more consistent core configuration and improved edge consistency. Also moving the density of the panel up to +/-600kg/m3 m3
from +/-540kg/
has resulted in this appearing to be the ‘sweet spot’ for production and end users, with the panel now being not so fibrous. Plans are also now afoot for a capital raise to fund the development of the first full scale plant with an initial production of around 20,000m3
initiatives and new product development (NPD) as a manufactured and certified circular, flame-retardant FR panel to Euroclass FR B-s1d0 also without the use of any toxic chemical additives.
per year and in due course to be followed by additional plants to serve specific local areas by upcycling local industrial fibres waste into HONEXT boards for local manufacturing use.
The HONEXT board is a truly unique product, from an IP protected biotech process that upcycles industrial waste fibre into a fully recyclable material entirely and is free of toxic chemicals.
Through this evolution, the original vision is coming to life now with additional
In addition, Honext boards are Material Health certified, which further adds to its uniqueness. For third party testing the company has used AIDIMME and for LCA and EPD work support and general circular advise, it uses EIG headed by Ignasi Cubina, a very well-known figure in the sector. Thanks to its innovation in biotech and with this manufacturing process HONEXT can upcycle paper sludge, the previously “worthless” residue from paper making, and create a fully recyclable material with no added emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Now flame-retardant and with competitive mechanical and thermodynamic properties, HONEXT is providing a truly sustainable, and much needed alternative for the built environment. Currently HONEXT is working to accelerate the transition to the circular economy by internationalising this circular business model, which is using local waste for local production, providing a global solution. As the company grows, the management team at HONEXT is expanding, with a team of professionals bringing expertise in many fields: engineering, material science, architecture, construction, manufacturing operations, sales and marketing and financial acumen. They are led by Pere Merino, chairman; Paul Clegg (former Accsys CEO), CEO; Pol Merino, managing director; Sebel Lee, head of research and development; and Karlijn Radermaker, head of manufacturing operations and engineering.
In my opinion, for the global pulp and paper industry this is starting to look like a fascinating proposition. This could be as significant a step change in the evolution of a new source and type of panel product, as was the evolution of MDF back in the late 1960s and early 1970s. ■
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
In September 2011, Geoff Rhodes established GRA as a specialist forest products and international trade consultancy, providing independent in-depth assessment of markets and market potential for wood-based panel products. Mr Rhodes is well known for his pioneering work over many years driving the introduction and huge expansion in the use of MDF in the UK and international markets. He is a former president of the Timber Trade Federation (TTF), the European Association of MDF Manufacturers (EMB), the Fibre Building Board Federation (FIDOR) and a former board member of the European Panel Federation (EPF). He is also a fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and since 2016 he has been president of the Institute of Carpenters (IOC). In 2017 he was the recipient of the TTJ’s Lifetime Achievement Award for services to the timber industry.
geoffrhodes.associates@
gmail.com ■
www.ttjonline.com | May/June 2023 | TTJ
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