the product
Neverwaste® is an engineered panel formed from waste cellulose fibres typically found in cardboard, packaging, tex- tiles, and crop residues. The post-consumer or post-industrial waste streams are first screened to remove unwanted contaminants and then subjected to a proprietary refining process before being formed into sheets under heat and pressure. The refining process enables the panels to self bond and require no glues, resins or toxic chemicals. The finished product can be re-manufactured into new boards multiple times. The absence of any newly extracted or harvested raw materials and the use of waste heat and renewable energy in the production process means the product has an ultra low carbon footprint—approximately 62% less than conventional MDF on a cradle-to-gate basis and much more when end of life is taken into account. It is a circular economy product.
Characteristics and use
Neverwaste® consists of individual fibres bonded together under heat and pressure and has a density range of 700- 800kg/m3. It is denser and stronger than normal particleboard and can be used as a building material similar in applica- tion to particleboard and conventional MDF ie: furniture, kitchens, shelving, doors, flooring, cabinet carcasses, partition walls, acoustic wall cladding, signage, decorative plinths and for exhibitions and retail spaces. It has acoustic and ther- mal insulation qualities and can be nailed, glued, screwed, stapled, or attached with dowels, making it extremely versa- tile. Reconstituted, engineered products like MDF are often covered in a veneer or laminate and this is entirely possible with Neverwaste® although in order to maintain the circular economy credentials of the product it is desirable to use sustainable and eco-friendly finishes. The smooth surface finish is also suitable for priming, painting or lacquering and if water-based products are used then these can usually be put back into the re-manufacturing process without requiring any pre-processing.
Neverwaste® performs at least as well as standard MDF and conforms to all the same British and European standards required for UK CA and CE marking. In addition it can also be 3D moulded to make components such as hinges, han- dles, and seat shells that enable entire products to be made from a single waste material source.
Flame resistant and water resistant versions of Neverwaste® will also be available and future products include finished panels with full surface and edge protection that will dispense with the need to apply laminates or melamine.
neverwaste assurance
The contract with customers requires them to display the Neverwaste® label so it is clearly visible to end users. The label will include a QR code containing data on the materials contained within the board and information on how to organize for collection at end of use. Customers are required to contract for the collection of end of use products and return to designated regional depots where Unwasted will organize for the material to be collected and returned to the production process.
Circular economy values
The EU Circular Economy Package (CEP) became law in July 2018 and requires member states to evolve rapidly towards a circular economy, requiring them to meet stringent targets in ten areas including EU self- sufficiency for raw materials, green public procurement, reduction in waste generation, and a rapid increase in the use of recycled materials to meet materials demands.
Conventional MDF, particleboard and plywood present a major problem because they consume vast quantities of energy, resins and chemicals that are toxic in production – producing toxic dust and formaldehyde - and potentially dangerous to end users over time. At end of life they are virtually impossible to recycle and are either landfilled or burned, thus further contributing to the loss of carbon. They also use vast quantities of hardwood and softwood residues. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has stated that urgent and dramatic changes are required if global warming is to be held to 1.5 degrees centigrade above pre-industrial levels. "Rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society,“ are required, including massive reductions in CO2 emissions and truly epic planting of new forests. The rapid adoption and scale up of Neverwaste® will be a significant contributor to both of these, preventing the unnecessary use of virgin timber for purposes for which existing waste cellulose is well suited.
Benefits include:
It removes vast quantities of waste from the waste stream.
It maximises the resources already manufactured on the planet and reduces the need for newly mined or harvested raw materials.
It reduces end of life costs as the valuable raw materials can be used again.
It improves the wellbeing of staff and customers.
It reduces carbon emissions and embodied energy.
It reduces risk for customers, as all products can be changed or remade using the same raw materials.
It enables customers to win tenders requiring circular economy solutions
It enables customers to gain extra Breeam and CCS points.