The BioCompass project will address the limited understanding of the environmental performance of these relatively new materials, which at the moment are hard to compare ‘like for like’ with traditional materials.

The project team, consisting of experts from the construction sector and natural materials industry, will produce information, guidance and tools for the new materials.

The project will focus on issues including: raw material supply, including crop production and land-use; energy requirements for primary and secondary processing; durability of these naturally-derived materials compared to conventional alternatives; and end-of-life issues, including the possibility for recycling, composting, recovery and re-use.

The work is being undertaken under a UK LINK collaborative research project funded through the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) renewable materials programme.