09/07/2012 (The Star) - Every year, millions of tonnes of organic waste – forest and mill residues as well as agricultural waste, among others – are generated. The oil palm sector alone contributes to over four-fifths of the problem of biomass overload, leaving operators with the headache of disposal arrangements, transportation and cost.

Today, however, oil palm waste is turning into a lucrative stream of income for operators and new industry players who are transforming the scraps into useful products while alleviating the issue of disposal at the same time.

Palm-trunk flooring panels feature attractive wood grains and come in various finishes,
such as (from left) mahogany, natural and wenge. Other colours include light oak,
mahogany and medium walnut

Faza Solution is one company that is tapping into the abundant resource, having been in oil palm research and development for the past decade.

“We did a lot of research on the waste, finding ways to put it to good use to enhance people’s lives,” said director Khairil Faizi.

The company obtains palm waste such as oil palm fronds and trunks, empty fruit bunches, palm kernel shells, palm kernel cakes and palm oil mill effluent from planters and mill operators. It then commissions different manufacturers to process the raw materials into various products.

“We understand that environmental groups are concerned about global forest loss and climate imbalances. Our work has a strong focus to alleviate those problems, and in doing that, utilise waste and create useful products from it,” Khairil explained. “We started by creating animal feed pellets from oil palm fronds, which yielded good results. Buyers started asking us for more products from oil palm biomass.”

Palm flooring
What started as an attempt to replace livestock food drew in such strong demand from the agricultural industry that Faza Solution was compelled to innovate other new products, namely flooring panels and palm pulp paper products.

Sporting a distinctive grain pattern that runs in a single direction across the panel, palm wood flooring is claimed to be “superior to standard requirements”.

Empty fruit bunches are turned into pulp sheets and used for making palm-based paper,
containers, kitchen utensils and moulds.

The stringent standard imposed includes the cold check, where each finished panel is exposed to 10 cycles of extreme temperatures, to test against cracking. In the chemical test, the flooring panel must withstand a 24-hour exposure to household substances such as vinegar, lemon juice, ketchup, coffee, olive oil and alcohol, as well as an hour of mustard and watered-down detergent. This is to test the panels against cracking.

“If there’s no noted damage after the 24-hour exposure, we deduce that our products are sturdy enough,” Khairil explained.

“Our strategy is to develop and commercialise palm materials as a new source for flooring. Most people would not have imagined that there would be a substitute for timber-based furnishing and fittings.”

He added that engineered palm flooring is more durable and impact-resistant than timber flooring. Wooden flooring is said to shrink and expand following temperature changes. Engineered palm flooring, however, is said to remain sturdy.

“Each panel is manufactured with 10 layers of UV coating which strengthens it. Further- more, the palm material is infused with resin to increase resistance to hairline cracks,” Khairil explained.

“In fact, the natural grain texture keeps the palm panel strong so it does not succumb to ‘knots’ and other defects that take the strength out of the material. Plus, no additional maintenance is necessary. Just treat it as you would an ordinary floor. Sweep and mop as you see fit.”

The product, however, is not commercially available yet as Faza Solution’s marketing plans are still in the works.

“Palm wood flooring is still very new in our market but this is the direction that the world is moving into right now. Our stocks are limited at the moment, as we have just finalised testing,” explained Khairil.

“We are making headway with governmental corporations and have installed palm wood flooring in their buildings so that they can test out what we have built. Once we establish ourselves among Government departments, we’ll move on to the private sector. We are aware that there are developers out there who are keen on green technology. We can meet those needs.”

He added that the flooring is also available to residential house owners (more information is available at oilpalmproducts.com).

Although the pricing has yet to be determined, Khairil admitted that palm flooring would cost slightly more than conventional timber flooring as it is still new in the market.

“Much has gone into research and developmental costs. However, in the long run, as more citizens start to experience the viability of our products, pricing will be lowered,” Khairil said.

Palm paper
He said the public needs to be aware of the alternatives offered by palm products, such as palm pulp paper products which can replace those made from wood.

Empty fruit bunches (EFB) are shredded into thin strips of fibre and turned into pulp. The pulp is then compressed to form writing materials, food containers, kitchen utensils and cutlery. It can also be turned into disposable lunch boxes and food trays, which can replace those made from polystyrene.

“No additives are included in the formula. There are just four to five machines to crush and compress the EFB into plastic-replacement moulds and brown paper sheets,” Khairil explained. “Polystyrene, when hot, tends to release toxins which can be hazardous. But these items made from EFB are non-toxic, biodegradable and chemical-free.”

To confirm that these products are, in fact, biodegradable, Khairil suggested that they be buried in the ground after usage.

“In three to four months’ time, everything would have completely disappeared,” he said. “With low lignin and high fibre content, as well as a good resemblance to hardwood fibres, palm-based paper is strong. The raw material it’s derived from is itself sturdy.”

At this point, Faza Solution’s partner manufacturers have produced sheets of brown paper, which have yet to take the form of proper stationery items.

Like palm flooring, these products are not yet released to the general market as Faza Solution is in the process of commissioning manufacturers to produce the end products.

“Palm paper should be available in bookstores and local convenience stores by August,” he shared. “As these are Malaysian products, we hope to stir up local awareness before bringing them to the world.

“Biomass is a vast arena and we can do a lot of good with it. We’re not even inventing anything new, just enhancing existing products. By using these environmentally friendly products, people are not just helping themselves, but the next generation too.”