World’s 1st hydrogen fuel-cell powered yacht, hemp airplane, rock snot to biomaterials, sisal-based thermal insulation, and more: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the week of January 3rd

#3 Scottish entrepreneur finds plant-based inspiration in Africa

In Scotland, entrepreneur John Ferguson is gaining traction for his thermal insulation made from sisal, a plant found in east Africa.

Ferguson says his company, Sisaltech, expects six-figure sales in 2020 for the biodegradable product. He got the idea for sisal-based insulation while working in Malawi, teaching farmers methods to adjust to climate change.

“Having worked with small-scale farmers in sub-Saharan Africa I felt motivated to start an ethical business that would help them trade their way out of poverty,” he tells The Scotsman. “As we experimented and started prototyping I was really excited to discover that sisal can be used to make a great insulation product, particularly when blending with other recycled textile fibers.”

Even with shipping from Africa, Sisaltech’s insulation has a better carbon footprint than incumbents, he adds.
More on the story, here.