In Denmark, a start-up called POND has developed a process for replacing up to 95% of traditional resins with natural fibers such as flax, hemp, pineapple, palm leaves, and cotton.
The technology is suited for particleboard, which globally accounts for 100,000 tons of non-biodegradable resin daily.
The company is looking for production capacity abroad, because the Danish market is so small.
However, rapidly upscaling the technology to the point it gets economy of scale will require significant capital. Nonetheless, cofounder and CEO Thomas Brorsen Pedersen says he wants to make sure ownership of the technology will not end up in the hands of a large corporation motivated solely by profit.