SUSTAINABILITY L
ike many inventors, Tom Robinson, founder and CEO of Bristol-based Adaptavate, had a lightbulb moment, a thought that ‘ there has to be a better
way of doing this’.
The ‘this’ in question was dealing with the huge amount of waste involved in the construction industry, and the huge cost to get rid of it, more specifically to do with plasterboard.
For years, Robinson explains, he was what he calls a ‘travelling dirtbag’ , a surfer-dude, travelling the world, money in his pocket from odd-jobs here and there, living out of a van, not wanting to engage with the capitalist society. Then he read a book which made him see things in a different way, a book about how Patagonia, the clothing company, developed into a global company that still manages to live by the environmental beliefs of its founder. “That resonated with me. What it really sparked in my mind was how business could be a force for good, and still do well as a business.”
One thing led to another, including setting up a building company restoring old stone buildings in the Peak District, which is where Robinson got the idea that there ought to be a better way of dealing with plasterboard and its waste.
He studied for a Master’s degree in Sustainable Architecture at the Centre for Alternative Technology, and Breathaboard, the biocomposite alternative to plasterboard, became his thesis.
Breathaboard is a bio-based, alternative to plasterboard, one of the world’s most widely used construction products. It is produced, specified and installed in exactly the same way as plasterboard, but uses natural and sustainable materials, taking fibrous and cellulosic waste to make it, using no burning of natural gases in the production process. Completely biodegradable and non-toxic, the waste or off-cuts can even be used as a fertiliser. It also absorbs low concentration CO2, saving approximately 4 kg of carbon dioxide per square metre over gypsum plasterboard. Breathaboard passively regulates the moisture in the internal space through its breathability and moisture buffering capabilities. This reduces pollutants in the air, the likelihood of con- densation and mould or mildew occurring and occupant health problems, such as asthma. Robinson says: “We have developed an industrial process that uses renewable, agricultural inputs and waste streams to make products that absorb low concentration CO2 during curing. What’s more – and as we
THE REVOLUTION STARTS HERE
From surfer-dude to entrepreneur, Tom Robinson is on a mission to change the construction world, and save the planet at the same time. Fiona Russell Horne went to find out more.
Above: Tom Robinson, CEO and Jeff Ive, CTO
move to a society where carbon removal is extremely urgent – we now have technology to produce a plasterboard product which stores carbon permanently. This technology is not only able to save CO2, but also removes approximately 1kg of CO2 per m2 of board. This is achieved through the incorporation of char – produced by “pyrolysising” ligno- cellulosic materials. This locks the CO2 sequestered by plants (through photosynthesis) into a stable state. We incorporate this into our products preventing it from being released through decomposition at the end of the product’s life. Incorporating char makes the current technology to produce Breathaboard a genuine permanent carbon-storage, in a drop
June 2024 A supplement to builders merchants journal
-in alternative to plasterboard. Importantly this has been quantified by our industry- verified carbon calculation tool to the latest EN 15804+A2 standard using our BRE validated carbon calculation tool – an important tool for developing products of the future” Earlier this year, the company announced the successful build and commissioning of the world’s first pilot line capable of producing Breathaboard as full size boards made on a continuously extruded process. The company also won The Big Innovation Pitch 2024 at the Futurebuild exhibition in London. Jeff Ive, CTO at Adaptavate, says: “The commissioning of our pilot line is the culmination of a year’s hard work from the team. From conception, we knew that the solution needed to be scalable for the technology platform to have the impact the planet requires. Now that we see full-size boards made on a continuously extruded process, with a comparable performance to the incumbent, this vision of scalability is becoming a reality. The pilot line capability, as part of the development centre, gives us the foundation to replicate our innovation for production partners globally, with the confidence that the product is technically scalable. It’s a game changer for us, for our industry, and for the planet.’” n
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