Fast-growing grass-based building panels are attracting the attention of the construction industry because they use 9 times less land than traditional wood products.
The global market of these materials (grass and engineered wood) is on the rise: within the next 4 years it could reach the record figure of 400 billion dollars.
My house weed
Everything suggests that new grass-based construction panels could play a significant role in reducing the environmental impact of the construction industry. This is the classic technology that seems to have been born yesterday but has distant origins: it has already been tested in various private laboratories for 20 years.
The company that seems closest to mass diffusion on the market is the American Plantd, which has perfected its method on a particular type of grass, that obtained from a long-stemmed perennial herbaceous plant: the domestic cane giant.
Grass, giant joint... Ok, have a few jokes and giggles, then we'll continue.
Vertical growth
The peculiarity of this plant, as mentioned, is that it consumes much less soil. Because it grows upwards, reaching up to 9 meters (30 feet) in height, and in 1 hectare of land (2,4 acres) you can harvest almost 8 tons of grass per year. Sequestering tens of tons of CO2.
As if that wasn't enough, these grass panels are lighter, more flexible and resistant to moisture. They do not “burn” trees and forests and have rapid regrowth. Do you understand why they have all the credentials to replace construction wood?
In conclusion
Plantd's 100% electric manufacturing facilities are modular and capable of producing multiple products (including panels and posts) from a single location. This will help the company easily “scale” production based on market demand.
Yep, the question. Currently it is the only aspect that is lagging behind: the awareness of the opportunities that come from the use of truly more sustainable materials (not from fluff greenwashed) grows slower than grass.
