The circle of it: This company is creating durable biomaterials to replace the use of woods for furniture and the construction industry from coconut husk fibers.
NATURLOOP
Summary
Naturloop is pioneering the manufacturing of sustainable biocomposites using local waste resources. The process involves combining agricultural waste (coconut husks) with bio-based adhesives. Their flagship product, Cocoboard®, is an all-natural fiberboard made from coconut husks and natural tannin, and is designed as a sustainable alternative to MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard). By using coconut husks instead of wood, the start-up based in the Swiss city of Biel aims to reduce deforestation, increase the local availability of furniture and building materials, improve farmers’ livelihoods, and promote a circular economy. The company works directly with farmer cooperatives in the Philippines to create a local supply chain for coconut husks. This not only secures their raw material but also provides additional income streams for farmers and helps improve their livelihoods. The company is targeting industries seeking environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional materials, including furniture companies, and the construction sector. (Source)
Story
Co-Founder Michail Kyriazopoulos was a master’s student in Wood Technology at the Bern University of Applied Sciences’ Institute for Materials and Wood Technology (IWH) where he came across the use of coconut husk fibers as a sustainable and cost-effective construction material in 2014. He recognized the abundance of coconut husks as agricultural waste in countries like the Philippines and saw an opportunity to create a valuable resource out of them. Eventually, Kyriazopoulos teamed up with Co-Founder Daniel Dinizo, who shared a similar background in wood technology and a passion for renewable materials. Their combined expertise, coupled with a desire to address deforestation, increase the availability of sustainable building materials, improve farmers’ livelihoods, and promote a circular economy, led to the founding of NaturLoop in 2020. Charmaine Cu-Unjieng has also since been listed as a Co-Founder
Pic credit: Naturloop(right) and Material District(top)
” Over half of the planet’s rainforests have been destroyed since the 1960s. One of the measures taken to protect the remaining natural resources is the imposition of bans on deforestation. The limited availability of wood is not only causing prices to rise, but is also making lots of countries heavily dependent on the import of wood materials. This is a huge issue in the Philippines. The country is made up of over 7,000 islands. However, Indonesia, the Philippines and India meet over 75% of global demand for coconuts. This produces 21 million tonnes of coconut shells a year in total – five million in the Philippines alone. Most of them are incinerated or disposed of, which represents a huge waste of natural resources.”
Michail Kyriazopoulos in an interview
Founder(s)
Michail Kyriazopoulos, Daniel Dinizo and Charmaine Cu-Unjieng
Headquarters
Biel, Switzerland
In business since
2020
Technology
Creating a sustainable alternative to wood using waste coconut fibers
Impact
The Circular People 
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