Earth Plant & Fiber

Chain coalition to harness waste streams

Earth Plant & Fiber is a network of biobased pioneers that connects suppliers of natural waste streams and (living) raw materials with other players in the local value chain such as manufacturing companies, product developers, researchers, consultants, storytellers and end users, among others. The aim is to valorise natural raw materials locally and promote natural solutions to reduce the waste of raw materials and energy.

Natural waste streams, such as cut grass from roadsides, kernels, straw and wood, are usually sent to compost heaps or incinerators. Earth Plant & Fiber wants to rethink this practice by considering whether a particular waste stream can be put to good use in another context. The company calls itself a ‘chain coalition’ because it links partners who supply residual flows to parties who process these residual flows into new applications. In doing so, they work fully tailor-made for the customer and try to build optimal cooperation through concrete cases. Currently, the company mainly focuses on the construction sector, but in the future, it also wants to serve other sectors, such as textiles and horticulture.

As an umbrella organisation, Earth Plant & Fiber also provides advice to Flemish and European policymakers. It tries to raise current obstacles in the law and expose the differences between different policy levels. Thus, Earth Plant & Fiber aims to promote nature-based policies at different levels, with natural processes and raw materials at the centre of policy-making.