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Stramit USA, introduces Compressed Agricultural Fiber (CAF) board made from recycled wheat straw for green housing and in support of US Green Building Council (USGBC) and LEED certification. Tim Evans joins us to share how CAF board, relatively new to the USA but old for Europe, improves dramatically upon straw bale construction adding multiple benefits beyond its negative carbon footprint. It’s:
- non-toxic,
- mold and pest resistant,
- energy efficient,
- highly sound absorbent,
- nearly fireproof,
- pre-sized boards facilitate a faster, cleaner construction process,
- low overall construction expense due to limited waste, reduced building site hazard and landfill expense.
Plus, the straw is a rapidly renewable material that’s often tilled back into the earth or burned, creating an undesirable carbon event. Instead, Stramit purchases and uses this straw, creating a new, secondary cash crop for wheat farmers while removing the carbon event associated with removing the straw stubble and re-tilling the soil. In comparison with particle board and other commonly used construction materials, its purchase is cost neutral but less expensive when considering the above benefits.
Click here to learn more about Stramit USA‘s vision as a green construction technology incubator for additional products as beneficial as CAF board.
It’s great to see that the USGBC are looking to other countries for inspiration. CAF board has been used in the UK for a while now and brings to the table all the benefits of straw bail construction without any of the drawbacks.
Great article Robin, I am going to curate it for my blog, providing full credit back to yourself