Spotted: Barcelona based Naifactory Lab are using a bio-compostable material made from olive pit to prototype toys, lamps and kitchenware. The material, “Reolivar”, is highly economical and can also be easily moulded at low temperatures. 

The startup was founded by the graphic designers’ Silvana Catazine and Josean Vilar. The idea came to Catazine after signing up for a biomaterials workshop for which they were asked to use waste. One evening, Catazine was eating olives in a bar in Spain and saw the pits.  

Until now, olive pits have primarily been used in the production of biomass which results in the emission of CO2. However, due to their organic composition and their proliferation (they are made of cellulose and lignin, the two most abundant organic materials on the planet), olive pits are a highly useful resource in circular, closed-loop production. 

The bio-compostable material produced by Naifactory Lab was the result of a great deal of experimentation with the size to which the pits were crushed, which, in turn, produced a variety of textures and properties.

Because the product is 100 per cent Spanish in origin, the new material is more ecological since the olives can be cultivated and the pits crushed locally without associated supply chain carbon emissions. Naifactory is currently in the business development phase, and a part of the CREAmedia program, which supports entrepreneurship projects in Barcelona by offering startups a workspace for 6 months and advice. 

The next step for Naifactory Lab is to acquire a patent. As for development, the company hopes to produce a line of furniture made from Reolivar and even launch their own store. 

Written By: Katrina Lane

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