Bast Fibre grabs global licensing deal with mega-TP maker Georgia-Pacific

March 15, 2020 |

Empty toilet paper shelf images are streaming from seemingly everywhere in the U.S. right now, but apparently 4 billion people in the world don’t even use toilet paper, and the first commercially packaged TP wasn’t even developed until 1857 making it a relatively modern product from a historical perspective. Don’t fret though – if you don’t have a square to spare, there are alternatives out there. That’s what makes this latest news about a global licensing deal with Georgia-Pacific from Canadian company Bast Fibre Technology and their nonwoven sustainable fibers so darn interesting.

In today’s Digest, how Bast Fibre uses the seeds of dicotyledon plants – a family of plants containing Bast Fibres – Hemp, Flax, Jute, Kenaf to create 100% plant-based, fully compostable alternatives for all sorts of wipes, their new global licensing deal with mega-TP maker Georgia-Pacific, the technology behind their fibers, and more – ready for you now at The Digest online.

The global licensing deal and why it’s a big deal

Canadian-based Bast Fibre Technologies Inc. (BFTi) and Georgia-Pacific, through its consumer products business, announced they entered into a global licensing agreement for a suite of patents related to the application of intact plant-based bast fibres in a variety of nonwoven products and processes. Within the terms of the agreement, under license from Georgia-Pacific, BFTi will develop, process and market the next generation of sustainable nonwoven fibers aiming to lead the industry in the transition away from synthetic materials toward all-natural, better performing solutions.

BFTi develops IP protected enhancements for hemp, flax, and other bast fibers and then produces, markets and delivers these fibers to high value consumer and industrial product markets. Their proprietary processes allow the transformation of annually renewable bast fiber feedstock from a variety of sources into high-performance, luxe-quality and eco-friendly (biodegradable, compostable, plastic/ microplastic free) end products in the nonwoven market.

Nonwovens are high tech engineered fabrics made from many different fibers and used in both consumer and industrial applications. Nonwoven products are found in almost every aspect of daily life and society including absorbent hygiene products, cleaning wipes and tea bags.

With many countries set to introduce strict legislation aimed at significantly reducing single-use plastics, the nonwoven industry recognizes the urgent need to find alternative fibers that are natural and fully sustainable. Most of the fiber used in the nonwoven industry today is either synthetic or semi-synthetic. Enhanced labelling requirements will soon inform consumers in many countries about the appropriate disposal of synthetic nonwovens and the negative impacts single-use plastics have on the environment.

Why is this licensing deal such a big, well, deal?

One reason is how large Georgia-Pacific is in terms of paper products, locations, employees, consumer products, etc. Based in Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific and its subsidiaries are among the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of bath tissue, paper towels and napkins, tableware, paper-based packaging, cellulose, specialty fibers, nonwoven fabrics, building products and related chemicals.

You may know them as more familiar consumer brands like Quilted Northern, Angel Soft, Brawny, Dixie, enMotion, Sparkle, Mardi Gras and Vanity Fair. Georgia-Pacific has long been a leading supplier of building products to lumber and building materials dealers and large do-it-yourself warehouse retailers. Its Georgia-Pacific Recycling subsidiary is among the world’s largest recyclers of paper, metal and plastics. The company operates more than 150 facilities and employs more than 30,000 people directly and creates approximately 89,000 jobs indirectly.

So yeah, they are huge and a global licensing deal for Bast Fibre is huge.

The technology behind it

Bast Fibre uses the seeds of dicotyledon plants – a family of plants containing bast fiber, also called phloem fiber- Hemp, Flax, Jute, Kenaf to create 100% plant-based, fully compostable alternatives for baby wipes, personal care, household wipes and commercial wipes.

Bast fiber is collected intact from the inner bark of the bast family group of plants. The essential role of the fiber in the plant’s life cycle – the transportation of nutrients while supporting the structure of the plant – also provides key performance benefits such as high natural absorbency and wet strength, critical for many nonwoven products.

With a careful mechanical process, or decortication, they separate the bast fibers from the surrounding plant matter being sure to maintain the structural integrity of the interior phloem fibers which are critical for absorbency. Then they use innovative proprietary wet processing techniques to clean, separate and refine the bast fibers.

Bast Fibre then applies natural modifications to the fibers including cohesion enhancement, absorbency modulation and custom staple length in order to suit a variety of product applications. The end result? Plant-based, fully compostable alternatives to synthetic and semi-synthetic materials.

Currently, they have 3 products listed on their website:

  • One – Their foundation fiber for blending, multipurpose, and short-fiber applications.
  • Sero – Ultra clean fiber, optimized for consistency, strength, cohesion, and softness. Perfect for next to skin applications – think baby wipes and cosmetic or skin wipes.
  • Noval – Fiber treated to create unique properties, designed to customer specifications, eg. Quat Compatibility and Rx applications.

Reactions from the stakeholders

“Over the last few years we have been working very closely with our farming and supply chain partners who share our goal of transitioning the nonwoven industry away from synthetic fibres to natural bast fibres,” said Noel Hall CEO and Chairman BFTi. “Displacing man-made synthetic fibres with all-natural fibres such as hemp requires an intimate knowledge of agronomics, natural fibre processing and deep technical knowledge of both nonwoven manufacturing processes and market opportunities.”

“Georgia-Pacific’s foresight in recognizing the potential of bast fibres in the nonwoven market is to be applauded. Georgia-Pacific appreciated that we were best placed to maximise the global potential of its bast fibre IP while allowing Georgia-Pacific to focus on serving its core customers in the North American food service, industrial and club segments with their own portfolio of bast fibre products.”

Bottom Line

Keep an eye on Bast Fibre Technologies, not just because of their technology and now this huge global licensing deal with Georgia-Pacific, but also because demand for this stuff is expected to go nowhere but up.

The recent passing of favourable hemp farming legislation in Canada and the USA is expected to provide future hemp fibre supply volumes that will be required to support the transition away from synthetic to natural fibre for many single-use nonwoven markets,” according to Bast Fibre’s press release. So don’t be surprised to hear more from Bast Fibre in the coming year.

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