How to save the planet using potatoes.

Occasionally you’ll read about something that truly captures your attention and makes you want to tell everyone else about it. This is one such discovery that needs to be shared.

Chip[s] Board is a small British company that creates environmentally friendly materials, including an MDF substitute and biodegradable plastic, out of potato peelings. Co-founders Robert Nicoll and Rowan Minkley were overwhelmed at the amount of disposable waste used in architecture and design, especially when single-use products are sent to landfill which then emit harmful toxins to the surrounding environment.

Both students at Kingston University, Rob and Rowan were determined to find a better solution. They stumbled upon an idea inspired by the humble potato when Rowan was working part-time in a kitchen. Here an idea began to form: how can we transform organic waste in to something of worth? What followed was an ingenious exploration involving the circular economy, innovative design and one of the nation’s favourite vegetables.

I caught up with Rob Nicoll, Chief Product Officer, to discuss the joys of manufacturing, partnering with McCain, and why a circular economy approach should be mandatory when developing industrial materials.

Giverny: Why did you decide to create an eco-friendly alternative to MDF?

Rob: We discovered that over a third of MDF, the equivalent to 30 million tonnes, ends up in landfill or incineration every year. What’s worse is that toxic chemicals such as carcinogen urea-formaldehyde are incredibly damaging to people and the environment. Rowan is particularly passionate about sustainability and this was something that deeply frustrated him, which is why he approached me as I have a design degree specialising in product innovation and material development.

Rowan and I started to research bio materials; we were extracting starch from potatoes to explore natural bioplastics, which left us with an abundance of potato waste. We quickly found a way to create an MDF-like material with minimal water use, zero production waste and most importantly containing no harmful chemicals. If we think back to 30 million tonnes of MDF going to landfill, this could instead be sent to an industrial compost where it would decompose naturally.

We’re really excited to confirm that we’ve also found a way to create organic plastic composite materials. Ideally this could be used for food packaging, fast fashion items such as glasses frames and buttons, but we are still in the research and design stage so haven’t quite finalised what this end product looks like. The point is that we are discovering new ways to create alternative solutions using a circular economy approach – one day you could be walking round a shop that’s been fit out with a CSP (chip strand board) selling products made out of PBX (parblex) that’s been created out of Chip[s] Board potato peelings.

Giverny: Talk me through the Chip[s] Board circular economy process…

Rob: We use potato waste to develop a product, this product can then biodegrade and be turned in to fertilizer, and is then be used to grow more potatoes. At Chip[s] Board we’re strict about the process – the materials must always have circular economy loops. We recycle in-house and compost any excess waste not used in manufacturing.

Giverny: Talking of manufacturing, how did the relationship with McCain come about?

Rob: McCain were an obvious choice for us in terms of getting an unlimited supply of potato peelings for our research, but the partnership developed through one of Kingston University’s alumni, Nick Vermont, who is the retired Regional CEO of McCain. We then met with Nick and the rest of McCain who were really responsive to our idea; it’s a mutually beneficial partnership as we take their waste, which then enables us to continue our research. It takes 200 bags of chips to make 1m2 of CPB (chip particle board) so we need all the potatoes we can get. As a side note, pre-processing potato waste is quite an experience. You have to learn to love the smell – it’s quite a potent and earthy smell!

Giverny: For architects and designers reading this, do you currently have manufacturing in place to be able to sell Chip[s] Board on a large scale?

Rob: No. We have a small-scale lab at our offices and are currently focusing on small projects with designers and active field testing. Once we have finalised what the Chip[s] Board products are, we will then look in to manufacturing on a larger scale. We’re lucky to have won the first round of funding which is enabling us to decipher exactly what the end material will look like, but we’re more than happy to open dialogue with architects or designers who are interested in connecting so that they can implement Chip[s] Board in to future designs.

Giverny: What more is needed for Chip[s] Board to become Cradle to Cradle certified?

Rob: One we’ve finalised our product we’ll then be looking at industry-recognised accreditations but as we’re still in the R&D stage we’re not quite there yet. We have an amazing community around us who recognise that we’ve made an environmentally friendly product and are supporting us as we develop our biomaterials. Cradle to Cradle certification is something we hope to achieve in the future.

Giverny: Has Chip[s] Board recognition picked up slowly or did it feel like it happened overnight?

Rob: It seemed to happen organically - no pun intended. We haven’t really been marketing ourselves but around Christmas 2018 it just exploded. We won four awards in one week, and each one had press coverage so the likes of Fast Company, Medium, Dezeen, The Guardian and The BBC were suddenly wanting to know more which was fantastic but very sudden.

Giverny: So, what’s next?

Rob: We’ve finished our first round of funding, but we’ll be looking for a second round at the end of the year. We hope to find investors who are the right fit, who care about what we’re doing and why we’re doing it. It’s such an exciting time; we love what we do and we get to come to work and develop something that’s never been done before. By 2020 we’d like to begin seeing our products in various manufacturing stages, so the next eight months are going to be pretty busy!

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To get in touch with Chip[s] Board about collaborating on a project, you can email Rob or Rowan at [email protected]. Alternatively, keep up to date with their research by following them on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.