JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #109 - November/December 2016 - 20

BUSINESS biocomposites

World debut for the first
sustainably-certified natural fibre
Natural fibres show significant environmental benefits in lightweight
biocomposites for automotive interiors and in construction. Until recently, no sustainability certification was available for the natural fibre
itself. But customer requests can now be satisfied as, in June 2016,
hemp straw and fibres produced by the Dutch company HempFlax B.V.
received the ISCC PLUS certificate - the first natural fibre worldwide
to achieve this.

SCC is one of the leading
certification systems for
sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. In July 2011, the
European Commission recognized ISCC as one of the
first certification schemes
to demonstrate compliance
with the EU Renewable
Energy Directive's (RED) requirements.
4,500 biomass
feedstocks certified
ISCC PLUS has been developed for food, feed, technical and chemical applications (e.g. fibres, bioplastics
and biocomposites). The
ISCC certification can be applied to demonstrate the sustainability and traceability
of feedstock in a wide range
of industries, including automotive and construction.
At present, more than 4,500
biomass feedstocks have received an ISCC certificate.

The certificate proves that
the biomass is not produced
on land with high biodiversity and high carbon stock,
that good agricultural practices protecting soil, water
and air are applied, and that
human rights, labour and
land rights are respected.
Political strategy
In 2015, the European
Industrial Hemp Association
decided to motivate and support their members to certify the raw materials of the
hemp crop in order to prove
the sustainability of the
hemp industry.
As the leading hemp producer, Hanf Farm GmbH
(Germany) received the
ISCC PLUS certification
for their hemp seeds, leaves
and flowers in January 2016
(ISCC-PLUS-Cert-DE 10581763301). The certificate
aims to satisfy the growing
demand of the health food
industry.

In these hammer mills, specially designed by HempFlax, the woody core is
hammered loose from the bast fibers to reach a purity of 90%

In June 2016, the Dutch company HempFlax Exploitatie
in Oude Pekela, cultivating
and processing industrial
hemp, received the certification for hemp straw and fibres (ISCC-PLUS-Cert-DE
110-75160108). The certification for HempFlax's second factory in Romania will
follow next year.
For the first time, the automotive industry can now

jec composites magazine / No109 November - December 2016

gain access to a sustainably-certified natural fibre
for producing lightweight
biocomposites, mainly for
interior applications. The
fibre's sustainability can be
traced and confirmed all
along the value chain, from
the agricultural source to
the final car component.
More information:
www.eiha.org
www.iscc-system.org

http://www.eiha.org http://www.iscc-system.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #109 - November/December 2016