Plant

Kelsun by Keel Labs is a compostable yarn made from readily abundant seaweed biopolymers. This product was designed as a sustainable, closed loop alternative for the apparel and footwear industries.

Kelsun has been awarded the Hohenstein Environmental Impact Label. It contains 100% Biobased Content and have been awarded the USDA Certified Biobased Product Label in the BioPreferred® Program.

This product provides a natural insulation alternative that optimizes human and environmental health. Greenfiber's cellulose insulation is free from formaldehyde, asbestos, glass fibers, and mineral wool. The product is also made with up to 85% recycled materials from local sources, diverting hundreds of tons of paper from landfills and reducing energy consumption from transporting raw materials.

Greenfiber's R-value is declared at 3.8/inch.

Polar Barrier’s Loose Fill insulation is manufactured using 100% recycled paper. Primarily intended for use in walls and attics, this insulation provides superior sound control, fire protection, and energy savings compared to fiberglass. The production of Polar Barrier Loose Fill also uses up to 10 times less embodied energy than fiberglass does, and its reliance on recycled materials diverts waste from landfills.

The Loose Fill's R-value is declared at 3.9/inch.

Tradical® Hemcrete® is a highly sustainable hemp-lime product line designed to create insulating walls in new structures or to retrofit existing floors, roofs, and walls with thermally efficient, breathable insulating layers.

Just Bio Fiber's hempcrete blocks are a breathable, durable, non-toxic alternative to typical structural wall assemblies. Made primarily from hemp and lime, these blocks are Declare Red List Free as well as naturally fire resistant. Wall systems built with these blocks regulate temperature and humidity while retaining heat. They also do not require a vapor barrier and are resistant to mold, insects, rodents, and mildew.

IsoHemp’s hempcrete blocks are a non-load-bearing masonry product. These natural, healthy blocks are designed to be used for insulating envelopes, partition walls, and counter-partitions. Made only from hemp and lime, hempcrete’s ability to diffuse accumulated heat makes it a fantastic thermal regulator. This product also regulates humidity due to its permeability and is naturally very fire-resistant, making toxic flame retardants obsolete. Not only are IsoHemp hempcrete blocks good for human health, they also have a positive environmental impact. Their manufacture requires very little energy, and they act as a carbon sink, actively absorbing CO2 from the air.

BioBlack TX is a direct replacement for toxic, petroleum-based black pigment dispersions. This 100% bio-based, water-based dispersion contains Nature Coatings' proprietary black pigment made from wood waste from sustainably managed and certified sources. BioBlack TX is naturally free of fossil fuels and contains non-detected PAHs and carcinogens, making it safe to touch and wear. It can be used in the textile, upholstery, and packaging industry, in paints or wall surfaces as well as in automotive applications.
The manufacturer claims to be cost-competitive with low to mid-range carbon black dispersions. BioBlack TX has FSC certification (FSC C125400), Oeko-Tex ECO PASSPORT certification, and is listed on the ZDHC.org MRSL 3.0 Gateway. It is made in the USA. This product contains 100% bio-based content according to Bioprefered.gov.

HempBLOCK USA pre-casts hempcrete into interlocking blocks. The LB 300 load-bearing system is for in-fill walls and load-bearing walls in both residential and commercial construction. The interlocking hempcrete block options include standard, post, and bond beam blocks. No mortar is required. Walls can be clad, rendered, or plastered after installation. Hemp is great for temperature regulation due to its open cell structure to allow moisture flow. Production is currently in France, but aim to have US-based production in 2025.

100% plastic-free, gluten-free, gelatin-free, BPA-free, non-GMO, all natural, non-toxic, safe, and FDA approved, LOLIWARE is made from a biodegr(edible) material so natural you can eat it. Loliware contains 100% Biobased Content and has been awarded the USDA Certified Biobased Product Label in the BioPreferred® Program.

Polaris is a non-isocyanate polyurethane (NIPU) for use in foams, coatings and adhesives. The proprietary manufacturing process can eliminate harmful isocyanates and aims at using renewable soybean, linseed and algae oils to avoid petrochemicals. The oils are chemically reacted to form polyols which are reacted with C02 to create a polymerized resin polyurethane.

The NIPU processing method can be used on petrochemical oils as well. Ingredient disclosure is key. The material will be available within the footwear, apparel and outdoor industries first, and could eventually be applicable to interiors for adhesives, coatings, and flooring.

Ecococon's Wall Panel is made of straw and timber that is condensed per a special straw pressing technique. The result is a product used for wall sheathing. In combination with the appropriate wall finishes, this wallboard panel is Passivhaus certified.

Note: The plywood binder contains a phenol-formaldehyde-based resin. The plywood is FSC Certified Chain of Custody. 

Bio-Fluff is a plant-based faux fur from nettle, flax, and hemp fibers created through a proprietary plant-derived enyzme process. Bio-Fluff can be used within fashion, interiors, packaging and toys. A natural proprietary flame retardant option is offered for use in interior upholstery.

IStraw creates a blown-in insulation from 100% straw for roof, exterior walls, ceiling, partitations and insulation. Their ELITE GREENLINE series is confirmed to have no pesticide residues from farming. The straw is compostable after its useful life. Located in Germany, IStraw has developed a building network to connect local farmers and suppliers.

Croft designs straw-based wall, floor, and roof panels for pre-fabricated assemblies based in Maine. They aim to source straw from organic farms when possible. Plywood is sourced from Roseburg and timber is FSC-certified. Note: Roseburg plywood contains 3-5% phenol formaldyehyde resin, a comparably lower content.

Savick creates roof, flooring and wall assemblies from locally sourced wheat and barley straw in Canada. Straw gets chopped up and densly packed (90 kg per cubic meter). This density and the high silica content in wheat acts as natural flame retardant. Savick carpenters assemble the wood frames from FSC certified wood and plywood. The R-Value is approx. 3.1/inch.

Note: The plywood binder is unknown.

Søuld creates eelgrass acoustic boards for ceilings and walls which achieves C2C Gold and Material Health Platinum certification. Eelgrass is a renewable marine plant and local in Denmark, traditionally used over decades for roof thatching.
Søuld has a take-back program to recycle panels and offcuts. They are available in three thicknesses 18mm, 35 mm, and 40mm options. Select FR-free if possible.

Note: A synthetic binder is used. Panels are to be 100% recyclable.

Per Søuld's EPD, this product meets HML's criteria for low embodied carbon.

Agoprene is a bio-based foam from Norwegian kelp, cellulose and crab shells sourced from waste streams. It can be used in upholstery and footwear and is shown to be biodegradable in soil. 

Note: A presumed foaming activator is unknown due to proprietary information.

Compressed Agricultural Fiber Boards (CAF boards) are made with a patented mill technology for affordable, large scale straw assemblies. The straw is locally sourced with no added binders or adhesives. They use H-steel framing and obtain structural integrity from densely pressed straw. Note: 1% borate is to prohibit mildew.

New Frameworks build prefabricated structural straw panels. The wheat straw is locally sourced from a certified organic farm by NOFA-VT and densely packed at 9lbs/cu.ft. A clay/lime plaster as interior air barrier is a preferable solution. Different air sealing methods can be applied to exteriors, opt for plywood or other options free from petrochemicals. The R-Value is 1.8/inch. 
Note: clay/lime is a direct surface protection of the straw; the plywood currently used contains phenolic resin. Consult the substantial research New Frameworks has done.

BioPuff is a loose fill/ wadding from typha (cattail) fiber, grown to support and restore damanged peatland ecology. BioPuff can biodegradable in certain conditions due to the inclusion of enzymes. It is C2C Gold Certified with Material Health Platinum. They aim to achieve 100% bio-based content as they continue development.

Stony Creek Colors work with farmers to grow indigofera for natural indigo pigment at scale. They aim to replace synthetic indigo derived from petrochemicals and inputs like formaldehyde, benzene and sodium cyanide. The product is ZDHC MRSL v.2 Level 1 compliant and contains 100% Biobased Content for which it has been awarded the USDA Certified Biobased Product Label in the BioPreferred® Program.

Linu Lenta flax fiber insulation tape has no additives or binders. Short tow fibers of the flax plant are cleaned and needle punched. It can be used as wall and ceiling insulation, as underlayment under laminate or parquet and in furniture upholstery. It is available in thicknesses of 3-20mm. 

FAAY partition walls are composed of a flax straw core with a chipboard (SP54) or gypsum (VP54) panel on either side. The flax straw is sourced from France and Belgium as a byproduct of the linen industry. The walls are modular, they can be disassembled and re-used several times. FAAY has an upcycling take-back program. The flax shive core uses a binder which will be biobased starting in 2025. FAAY is used by IKEA in the design of their stores.

 Per FAAY's product-specific EPD, this product meets HML's criteria for low embodied carbon.