OSB
OSB [Oriented Strand Board] combines strands/flakes of wood in specific orientations. In appearance it may have a rough and variegated surface with the individual strips lying unevenly across each other (95% wood, 5% wax and resin)
The great thing about this product is the production method uses almost all the wood of the harvested trees, and small, young trees and faster growing species can be used. We have used this product to make the Hackney Shelf range.
HEMP FABRIC
Hemp grows almost anywhere and requires no pesticides or fertiliser. The plant is good both for the soil and the atmosphere.
The potential for Hemp is vast – the fiber is one of the most valuable parts of the hemp plant. Hemp fibers can be 3 to 15 feet (4.6 m) long, running the length of the plant.
As a fabric, hemp provides all the warmth and softness of a natural textile but with a superior durability seldom found in other materials. Hemp is extremely versatile and can be used for countless products.
We have used Hemp Fabric to upholster our Box Sofa.
AGRIPLAST
GRPL [Grapple] is manufactured from 50% grass clippings and 50% recycled plastic.
In line with all our products at TAPEgear, GRPL is all about a zero compromise approach to sourcing natural and recyclable materials, with the environmental sustainability at its core.
AgriPlastBW is a fibre-enforced bio-plastic developed by Biowert and used for GRPL hooks.
GRASSY – it uses meadow grass, which is sourced from farms surrounding the bio-refinery in Germany. By combining the grass fibres with recycled polypropylene, a new, resource-efficient material that is fully recyclable and renewable is created.
LESS OIL – Because its a bio composite it reduces the need for petroleum based polymers.
RECYCLE MORE – it simultaneously provides prolonged product lifetime and dimensional stability. In plain words by adding fibres to the mix we use less plastic.
LIGHT AND DURABLE – 75% lighter than normal plastic with the same durability and strength than common petroleum based plastic.
‘CRADLE TO CRADLE – Biowert adopts a ‘cradle-to-cradle’ approach in its production. By combining a bio-refinery with renewable raw materials, Biowert have created a sophisticated manufacturing process that can produce products without generating waste or the need for public water supply or electricity.
RECYCLED PLASTIC vs BIODEGRADABLE –
So, to state the obvious here:
Recyclable plastics are plastics made of reprocessed and recovered waste plastic
Biodegradable plastics are derived from renewable raw materials and are capable of being decomposed and biologically broken down over time.
we chose recycled plastics because:
Land mass:
The biomass we would have been using comes from corn starch, the production of corn starch-based bio-plastics takes away resources from the world’s food supply and uses significantly more energy to produce than conventional plastic. For example It takes 2.65 kg (5.8 lb) of corn to make 1 kg (2.2 lb) of polylactic acid. Also according to estimates there isn’t enough land in the world to grow enough corn (and other suitable crops) to make enough PLA to substitute our traditional plastic consumption.
Accessible commercial Composting:
When degrading bio-plastic it mainly breaks down into carbon dioxide and water without any other nutrients or minerals. This in return make the industrial composting of any biodegradable plastic an ‘unlucrative’ venture, thus most industrial composting plants do not take or want to take any biodegradable plastic. Composting via conventional waste stream, e.g. green bins in Germany is therefore not possible. Today the majority of biodegradables plastic land in normal landfills where the generation of methane during the degeneration process further adds to a negative eco balance.
Using recycled plastic (and especially fibre enhanced recycled bio-plastic on the other hand creates significant advantages:
Re-using what already exists: there is a huge amount of plastic produced from petroleum based non renewable resourced every year if we like it or not. For example 275,000 tons of plastic are used each year in the UK, that’s about 15 million bottles per day. Polypropylene is one of the plastics that can be 100% recycled without loosing its properties.
Increasing volumes: by using fibres the overall volume of new material produced can be extended significantly. In the case of Agriplast this means that we can produce 3x more bio-plastic by mixing in the grass fibres than using conventional recycled plastic.
Multiple recycling: fibre enhanced bio-plastic such as Agriplast can be recycled multiple times before the end of its lifespan.
Reduces the demand for dyes and fixing agents, which in turn lowers the environmental impact of their use and manufacture.
ECOTEX
Our SHRED range is made from Ecotex, a material made from 100% recycled textile waste derived from old, unwanted clothes and household fabrics.
Recycling clothing is a fantastic way to prolong a products lifecycle thus reducing the need to produce new cotton or synthetic fibers. Here are just some of the environmental and economical benefits of recycling clothing:
Reduces landfill – synthetic fiber products do not decompose, while natural fibers (such as wool) do decompose but produce methane, which contributes to global warming.
Reduces pressure on virgin resources – this not only includes materials traditionally used in textiles, such as cotton or wool, but oil and other non-renewable chemicals used to produce synthetic fibers.
Reduces pollution, as well as water and energy consumption – 26,000 liters of water are needed to grow a single kilo of cotton.
Reduces the demand for dyes and fixing agents, which in turn lowers the environmental impact of their use and manufacture.
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