At EconCore, we recognize the demand and necessity to move towards more sustainable use of natural resources and towards a more circular economy. Looking to our origin, the honeycomb – a structure delivering high performance at minimal amount of raw material being used, and to our track record of constant optimization of our technology, we are proud of our efforts to drive sustainability. We continue to challenge ourselves to apply our honeycomb technology for various applications driving a more sustainable future.

The essence of EconCore is weight saving – making lightweight honeycomb materials. The lightweight sandwich structures are very strong – stronger and lighter than monolithic materials such as solid composites. Our technology to continuously produce honeycomb cores combines the excellent mechanical properties and the low weight of aerospace honeycomb structure with the automated production and low conversion cost of packaging processes. With the versatility to combine different core and skin materials using EconCore’s continuous, cost-efficient process technology, honeycomb core materials are finding their way into an increasing range of applications. Lightweighting can lead to economic rewards and to reduced environmental impact.

Already longer time ago EconCore technology has proven to work with bio-based thermoplastic materials. Over last years, there has been a focus on recycled polyethylene terephthalate (RPET), which once took the form of a plastic bottle or other post-consumer or post-industrial waste, and can be transformed into second generation products, now including technical honeycombs. This recycling of plastic bottles is an important step forward in the pursuit of sustainability, as waste can now be converted into performance-to-weight-optimized honeycomb structures. Beyond RPET from bottles, the technology can also use other RPET waste streams that are otherwise difficult to find recycling applications.

As the technology develops, and really starts to take hold of the industry, we hope we will see more sustainable materials within design and manufacturing on a much larger scale. There is a surplus of man-made resources just waiting to be used and we hope we can begin to think of plastics in a much more positive light.