What Makes ECOR Uniquely Sustainable.
#1: The End Becomes the Beginning
ECOR feedstock is in essence waste. By giving that waste a second life, it is diverted from being landfilled or incinerated. This is not only a financial cost savings, but a CO2 cost savings – a savings by avoidance. Most consumer goods add significantly to our finite “Carbon Budget”. ECOR does the opposite, starting with what it is made from.
#2: A Liability is Converted to an Asset
Manufacturing and agricultural by-products as well as post-consumer materials are everywhere, and generally considered a liability. ECOR leverages these residual materials into reliable raw materials – valuable assets. Cellulose fibers that can be rescued from the waste stream and upcycled into durable products means trees don’t need to be cut down. Trees are a valuable resource, especially if left to grow to absorb and store carbon.
#3: ECOR’s Clean Technology Process
Traditional wood-based composites include numerous toxic glues and binders. The entire production process from harvest, to transportation, milling, and pulping is energy and water intensive leaving behind residual pollution and toxic byproducts. Many large global firms have made commitments to improve their process and/or buy offsets. However, despite United Nations pressure, global clear cutting continues to increase as demand increases, especially in developing nations.
ECOR’s clean technology production uses only cellulose fibers, heat, pressure and 95% recycled water. ECOR contains no toxins, urea, formaldehyde, or petrochemical products of any kind. There is also zero off-gassing of finished product, which is finally being recognized as an environmental health hazard. Finally, the lack of these toxins and petrochemicals means ECOR-1 is fully recyclable.
#4: Scalable Circular Economy Solution
The end of ECOR products’ lifecycle is always considered a priority. ECOR-1 material is fully recyclable, compostable and best of all can be used as feedstock for new ECOR products. Sustainability is enhanced by the fact that ECOR high-performance panels have a 10–20-year useful life (depending upon application). ECOR is at the other end of the spectrum from single use “disposable” products.
ECOR represents one of the first and only commercial scale circular economy solutions. ECOR has done extensive collaborative testing with our strategic partners and customers to identify residual manufacturing and agricultural byproducts that contain the right fibers to make high quality flat panels. One of our goals is to identify via collaboration, as many circular economy opportunities as possible.
#5 Localized, Right-Sized Production Facilities
Traditional wood products are typically manufactured in massive, centralized factories, then shipped all over the world. ECOR takes the opposite approach to minimize supply chain disruptions, transportation costs, and the associated environmental impacts by building smaller modular facilities located at the intersection of raw material sources and the ECOR panel customer. This revolutionary innovation provides immediate positive local economic and environmental benefits. Smaller factories located within close proximity to feedstock and ultimately customers, is at the heart of ECOR’s circular economy strategy.
ECOR truly represents the most uniquely sustainable option for durable flat panel materials.