Reed

For the past several years we have worked on client projects related to reed.

Reed is an extremely versatile material that can be utilised in numerous different ways. Examples include production of renewable energy (biogas, combustion), agriculture and horticulture (soil improvement, growing media, feed, bedding) and construction (roofs, insulation boards, wall elements). These are all relatively well established – albeit under-utilised – use cases for reed.

Additionally, it is possible to isolate different fractions (lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose) from reed, to make biochar, to use it as a filter that binds solid matter and nutrients in water bodies, and to make decorative objects or even drinking straws.

Although reed has a lot of recognised potential, it's still not very widely utilised. There are many reasons for this, key ones being:
– technology and infrastructure related to large scale reed harvesting and processing is under-developed, making reed an expensive raw material
– markets and demand for high-value reed products are not developed and many substitute products exist, the USP for reed is still missing