Kiilto Ventures invests in RECOMA, a Swedish startup that turns packaging waste into low-carbon, fully circular construction boards that can replace traditional materials, such as plywood, drywall, and oriented strand board (OSB), without extra cost or effort for builders. And because no virgin materials get added during the manufacturing process, operational waste and water use achieve net-zero.

The construction industry is one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions and waste generation. In Sweden alone, the construction industry accounts for 20% of total CO2 emissions (as much as all cars in Sweden) and a third of the country’s waste.

“We are proud to contribute to construction’s sustainability revolution and the transition towards zero waste and zero emission building materials, helping companies and contractors make needed changes today without new tools, extra knowledge or premium prices,” says RECOMA CEO Max Rosenberg.

Giving new life to discarded waste
Composite packaging – blends of different types of paper and plastics – is great for protecting the integrity of products, but difficult to recycle. That’s why only a small part of packaging goes into new content, the rest is typically incinerated.

With RECOMA’s patented process, packaging waste like food cartons and beverage containers is first sterilised and shredded before being pressed it into boards under high heat. Now single-use items can get recycled and remanufactured into durable components while emitting 80-90% less carbon than the production of traditional, wood-based or gypsum construction boards.

“RECOMA is an example of how when we, as individuals and companies, successfully sort our waste, we enable innovation to happen at the other end – where discarded items can be upcycled into valuable products” says Christopher Mills, Discovery Partner at Kiilto Ventures.

 

Source: kiilto.com

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