These days even niche industries have concerned souls looking for more eco-friendly options for materials and processes, from washing machine waste<\/a> to artificial wool<\/a>. Lingrove<\/a> is taking on laminates \u2014 thin layers of wood and other materials \u2014 with a carbon-negative option that they claim performs better while looking as good.<\/p>\n Laminates or veneers are common in every home and car: they\u2019re the thin decorative wood or what have you that sits on top of the molded or printed body of a dashboard, appliance or even home trim. It\u2019s ubiquitous and, unfortunately, not always sustainably sourced or manufactured.<\/p>\n Lingrove has developed a wood veneer alternative out of flax fiber and plant-based resins that\u2019s carbon-negative yet results in a material they say is \u201cvery high stiffness, durable, and resistant,\u201d i.e. to touch, temperature and other materials (like coffee). They call it \u201cekoa\u201d \u2014 yes, in lowercase \u2014 and hope to make inroads in cars and other interior surfaces with a new $10 million funding round.<\/p>\n The Series B round was led by Lewis & Clark Agrifood and Diamond Edge Ventures, with participation from Bunge Ventures and SOSV.<\/p>\n The company contends that not only is its material better for the environment and as good or better in terms of strength and so on, but that it can positively affect air quality indoors. Recycled plastic and other repurposed materials are a popular use for things like cabinetry and trim, but they often lack the look, hardness or other qualities desirable for such surfaces, and in some cases can offgas considerable amounts (that\u2019s your \u201cnew car smell\u201d).<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Lingrove<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cWe have a healthy-air, low-carbon, high-performing and beautiful product,\u201d said CEO Joe Luttwak. \u201cUsing post industrial feedstock can, in some cases, be positive for the environment; however many of those byproducts are still emitting VOCs [volatile organic compounds] which are detrimental for indoor air quality, and they are not able to be made into high-performing materials.\u201d<\/p>\n ekoa materials perform well, don\u2019t seep weird gases into your kitchen or car\u2019s cabin and look a lot like regular wood. It can be tweaked to have various shades or opacities, and generally has all the advantages that artificial laminates have while being carbon negative and can be ground up and reused when retired.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Lingrove<\/p>\n<\/div>\n You may wonder, as I did, why not use actual wood \u2014 things like sawdust and wood chips already coming out of industrial wood-handling processes? These, Luttwak said, are perfectly good structural materials \u2014 i.e. what\u2019s in the middle of a board \u2014 but are not decorative. There\u2019s a reason MDF boards and the like tend to have at least one side covered by a veneer: the interior wood-glue mix isn\u2019t attractive or particularly resistant to things like solvents and oils.<\/p>\n Veneers aren\u2019t exactly the most high-profile or exciting business to take on, but it\u2019s always encouraging to see innovation taking place in corners of industries where a smart alternative can scale to millions of products and make them at least a shade less wasteful.<\/p>\n The new investment should help take the startup from small-scale in-house manufacturing to meeting all their preorders and expanding into the automotive world.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/lingrove-palette.jpg\")
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