Sustainable glue brings recyclability and circularity to engineered wood

This is the claim of Dunnington-based BindEthics, a sustainable glue company that has won the Armourers & Brasiers Venture Prize seed funding award.

Formaldehyde adhesives used by manufacturers are toxic petrochemicals that are carcinogenic in nature. This prevents recycling and incineration, so most construction panels and furniture made from engineered wood ends up in landfill. The new adhesive, derived from extracted and purified waste, is sustainable, non-toxic and is said to mark a step-change improvement in recyclability and circularity.

“Our glue is ethically sourced, has end-of-life biodegradability and has properties suited to replacing traditional formaldehyde adhesives,” BindEthics’ co-founder Callum Smith said in a statement. “As well as being fully recyclable the glue can be produced with almost no additional cost to the manufacturer and has a carbon footprint that is 86 per cent lower than traditional adhesives.”

BindEthics first explored the possibility of a base formulation for their adhesive derived entirely from waste in 2021. This included the purification of industrial food waste by washing, filtration and centrifugation. High protein content and polysaccharides contribute to binding while other natural crosslinkers and bioderived solvents are present in the formulation.