Royal DSM, a global science-based company active in health, nutrition and materials, today announces that DSM-Niaga and ECOR start a research collaboration. The collaboration will focus on developing fully recyclable and healthier alternatives for particleboard, MDF and other panel materials which can be used in industries such as building & construction, furniture, interior decoration and displays. ECOR offers technology for circular materials and has a R&D facility in Venlo, the Netherlands.
Looking at the piles of waste generated by interior and construction industries, design for recycling is inevitable. Both ECOR and DSM-Niaga have been redesigning products to be fully recyclable back into the same product. The irreversible combination of materials and ingredients used in most products made with MDF and particleboard, is the biggest challenge for technically and economically feasible recycling. Both ECOR and DSM-Niaga want to outsmart complexity for healthier and recyclable products.
Eric Logtens, CEO ECOR-NOBLE Environmental Benelux commented: “The concept that traditional materials like tabletops are up for incineration or disposal after their life cycle will be eliminated. Combining ECOR and Niaga technologies, the core materials of products can be made from recycled content, and can be fully recycled after use.”
Chris Reutelingsperger, Chief Technology Officer DSM-Niaga commented: “By combining ECOR and Niaga, waste becomes a treasure. I can’t stop thinking of all the possibilities, and I hope that designers will approach us for ideas to make beautiful products and challenge us to broaden the possibilities of these technologies.”
In recent months ECOR and DSM-Niaga explored a collaboration by combining each other’s technologies. The technology of ECOR can make materials from natural fibers, with water, pressure, and heat only. DSMNiaga manufactures products by using a reversible adhesive. This adhesive enables easy decoupling of different material layers, for full recovery and high value recycling. Both technologies were combined and tested in diverse product applications, like furniture and displays. The preliminary results led to further investigating of applications and will lead to new fully recyclable products.
Both technologies combined offer a fully recyclable alternative to all products made from MDF and particleboard, without compromising on material safety, quality, and recyclability. The joint objective of both companies is to offer manufacturing processes to local companies, solving local waste problems and boosting local economies on a global scale.
ECOR
ECOR enables others to achieve their circular economy ambitions. NOBLE Environmental Technologies
Corporation has developed the ECOR technology. It is a waste-to-product manufacturing process and
results in high-performance, sustainable and healthy materials, which uniquely enable the circular economy principles of starting with waste resources and enablement of recycling at the end of a product’s life cycle. ECOR is made of 100% recycled cellulose fibers locally sourced from urban, farm and process waste materials, is completely free of toxins and VOCs and C2C certified. ECOR is solely made with water, pressure and heat whilst offering an advanced design, great performances and versatile design opportunities. See for more information ww.ecorbenelux.com
DSM-Niaga
DSM-Niaga is a joint venture, established in 2014, between the start-up Niaga and DSM. DSM-Niaga has the mission to redesign everyday products from the ground up. The aim is to make products fully recyclable in an easy and affordable way, without compromising on quality or price. Carpet was the first product Niaga® redesigned, and many more products will follow.
DSM – Bright Science. Brighter Living.
Royal DSM is a global science-based company active in health, nutrition and materials. By connecting its unique competences in life sciences and materials sciences DSM is driving economic prosperity, environmental progress and social advances to create sustainable value for all stakeholders simultaneously. DSM delivers innovative solutions that nourish, protect and improve performance in global markets such as food and dietary supplements, personal care, feed, medical devices, automotive, paints, electrical and electronics, life protection, alternative energy and bio-based materials. DSM and its associated companies deliver annual net sales of about €10 billion with approximately 25,000 employees. The company is listed on Euronext Amsterdam. More information can be found at www.dsm.com.