From sustainable raw materials to sustainable recycling in furniture: SUSBIND Final Online Conference

Join our renowned experts on novel biotechnologies and bioeconomy, as well as our scientists and industry representatives! Be the first to know the new trends and discoveries from the SUSBIND project and beyond. You can download the presentations of the SUSBIND Final Online Conference June 1, 2022 here.

As the climate changes, the furniture of the future will have to be sustainable, multi-functional and efficient and today’s designers and manufacturers are already starting to explore these areas, paving the way for future developments. The wood board industry already having the circular economy in mind currently relies on the use of mainly fossil-based binders, largely formaldehyde-based binders. A number of initiatives are underway to produce alternative binders from renewable resources, but a bio-based binder at industrial scale does not yet exist.

SUSBIND’s collaborative partnership of six research and five industry partners has made substantial progress in developing highly sustainable bio-based binders that will in future replace conventional fossil-based ones currently used for wood-based panel boards in furniture mass products.

The SUSBIND binder aims at containing a significantly lower carbon footprint, while also reducing formaldehyde emissions and thus making a meaningful contribution in improving the public health and helping mitigate climate change. Hand in hand with the EU’ Green Deal targets, SUSBIND also provides cutting-edge clean technological innovation by converting carbohydrates and vegetable oils to binder precursors by “mild” technologies.

This conference will showcase the innovative solutions the project delivers in terms of novel technologies, both for enzymatic conversion of lipids and thermo/chemical conversion of carbohydrates which are scalable and applicable in numerous industrial relevant environments.
Moreover, the SUSBIND final online conference will examine current and future trends in and beyond the binder market for furniture and check applicability of similar solutions in research and other industry fields. The aim of this global online conference is to share experience, open debates for future trends and comparable projects as well as to attract attention of relevant stakeholder and reach out to a broad audience.

AGENDA

 

Welcome and Introduction to the Conference: Stephen Webb –CEO RTDS Group

10:00-10:10 Key note: SUSBIND as European Bioeconomy in the making

Philippe Mengal- Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU), Executive Director

10:10-10:20 Key note: Rolle of industry in European circular economy initiatives and European projects

Dirk Carrez – Bio-based Industry Consortium – (BIC), Executive Director

10:20-10:35 Challenges of Bio-based Materials from an Industrial Perspective

Manfred Dunky –Industry Expert-bio-based Materials

 

10:30 Block 1: New technologies

10:35-10:45 Introduction to the SUSBIND project: Ambition and results

Massimo Bregola, Global Application Lead Binders & Adhesives at Cargill and

SUSBIND Scientific Coordinator

10:45-11:00 SUSBIND Best practice #1:

Carbohydrates: Sugar syrup as the secret ingredient for biobased binders for furniture

Erik Van Herwijnen- Deputy Area Manager Wood K plus and Catherine Rosenfeld – Scientist Wood K plus

11:00-11:15 SUSBIND Best practice #2:

Emerged Enzymatic Technologies: From Fungus to Innovative Biocatalysts (UPOs)

Juan Carro – Scientist CIB CSIC and Jan Kiebist, Scientist at JenaBios

11:15-11:30 Q&A & panel discussion

11:30-11:45 Break

 

11:45 Block 2. Sustainability & Recycling

11:45-12:00 Sustainable grains for sustainable glucose

James Ede – Cargill- Global Starch & Sweeteners Sustainability Lead

12:00-12:15 Best practice example #3:

Sustainability in biomass wood-based products: Bio-catalysed polymerization of Lignosulfonates

Nikolaus Schwaiger, Chemical Engineer Biorefinery at Sappi Europe SA

12:15-12:30 Ways to recycle fiberboards for manufacturing of new particleboards and fiberboards

Jan-Olof Fechter, Category Area Wood, Material & Technology IKEA

12:30-12:45 Q&A & panel discussion

 

12:45 Block 3. CO2 emission reduction and beyond & final panel discussion

12:45-13:00 SUSBIND Best practice #4:

Early-stage environmental analyses to support biobased binder development

Martijn Broeren- Senior Researcher CE Delft

13:00- 13:15 EU Ecolabel criteria for furniture

Antonio Delre- Project Officer at Joint Research Centre of the European Commission

 

 

13:15-13:45 Expert Panel discussion: Way forward

Antonio Delre- European Commission, Joint Research Centre

Andreas Ahrens – Head of Climate – Inter IKEA Group

Manfred Dunky, Industry Expert-bio-based Materials

Roman Eberharter – President of FENA- European Federation for Furniture Retailers

Rob Beekers, Director New Business Development at Cargill Bio-Industrial Group

 

13:45-14:00 Closing session: SUSBIND Prototype product presentation (spp)-

Stephen Webb –CEO RTDS Group

Final address: Oliver Zobell – Project Officer CBE JU