With the ability to be transformed into furniture, signage, displays and more, Ecor is an amazing moldable material made from recycled cardboard, old newsprint, and a variety of fibers, including those collected from cow pies. By adding heat and pressure to the pulp and fiber mixture, the resulting board material is a formaldehyde free, no VOC, super strength, and 100% recyclable alternative to wood.
[youtube width=”537″ height=”400″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zp__59Abrhs[/youtube]
The bovine processed fibers (or BPF’s) are what is left over from the anaerobic digestion tanks used to harvest methane from cow manure. These fibers contain lignin and proteins, and allow for added board strength when mixed with the pulpy recycled paper mixture. The heat and pressure processing of the material kills and unsanitary microbes, so there is no fear of the fiber’s cow poo origination. Additional cellulose based agro-fibers are added in with the BPF and pulp mixture to create material that is 4x the strength of Medium Density Fiberboard. Researchers say heat and pressure from the manufacturing process kill any microbes that might be present, and as long as the board stays dry, it is no longer hospitable to microorganisms.
A variety of industries are finding uses for Ecor material. Whole Foods markets in Southern California have installed signage on a multilayer, ribbed version of Ecor boards called HoneyCor. The material is also being used for tradeshow displays, stage sets, furniture, and even architectural wall panels.
Because the raw materials to make Ecor are waste products from readily available urban, forestry, agricultural industries, it can take advantage of having small, regional manufacturing locations. This model would allow for local production to most North American areas, and would also create jobs in dispersed areas. We applaud the business model for Ecor and hope to see more creative, green products take advantage of this material!
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