The world has far too many cardboard boxes. But there’s a startup who sees that as an opportunity for the future go home building.
What’s happening:
- New York based materials science startup CleanFiber has raised $28M USD in a new Series B financing
The big idea:
- CleanFiber has developed a patented technology that turns recycled cardboard into cellulose insulation which is used for building insulation
- Traditionally newspaper has been turned into insulation for home building, however the supply of newspapers has dramatically shrunk over the last few decades
- The over saturation of cardboard boxes is more rampant than ever, due to the rise in home deliveries and online marketplaces that ship products exclusively in cardboard boxes
Going deeper:
- Cardboard is both lighter and stronger as a material than newspaper and also has more fibre for thermal endurance, which makes it an ideal material to be repurposed for insulation
- CleanFiber’s technology is also able to remove containments and chemicals that are commonly found when newspaper is turned into cellulose insulation
The intrigue:
- CleanFiber has also extensively tested their materials for fire safety and has proven that it limits smouldering as well as flame propagation
