Natural building materials on the rise in Flanders (Belgium)

In October in Flanders , the intermunicipal waste company ILVA organised a study day about the use of bio-waste for building materials.

ILVA has been producing compost from bio-waste since 1993 and is evolving to one of the first biomass hubs in Flanders. One of their newest studies is on the production of biochar through the process of pyrolysis. They want to partner up with various organizations to turn non-compostable bio- waste into valuable resources.  

One of the current partners on the ILVA site is Kiemkracht, a social employer that wants to promote biodiversity and climate neutrality among their customers. During the morning debate, policy representatives, researchers and entrepreneurs talked about the challenges faced when producing and using biobased building materials. Bottlenecks, such as logistics, contamination of the residual flows and certification still need to be overcome. In the afternoon, several producers presented their circular building materials, such as insulation plates from hemp, flax fibers and mycelium.