Biobased and Circular road sign Nabasco®Sign now also Cradle to Cradle certified

Hundreds of thousands of signs are replaced in the market every year, and with that, a sustainable alternative can make a big impact. Instead of conventional aluminum, the Nabasco®sign traffic sign consists largely of residual materials. This is important, because the use of energy and raw materials for products is increasing worldwide . Fossil energy sources and conventional raw materials are finite, increasingly difficult to extract and cause environmental problems and CO2 emissions.

Nabasco®Sign is a biocomposite traffic sign that consists of the local, natural residual streams reed, lime and resin. These are raw materials with a low CO2 footprint, which do not harm biodiversity or food production and do not come from the other side of the world.

The traffic signs are made from the biocomposite Nabasco®. The production is similar to making a loaf of bread. Cane, lime and resin are kneaded into a kind of dough that is pressed into a mold. The material is a strong, dimensionally stable and high-quality product with a long lifespan.

That the ingredients used are a big step towards a sustainable world, circular and harmless to people and the environment, was recently confirmed by the award of the Cradle to Cradle Bronze certificate. A nice reward for all the efforts to develop an environmentally friendly and high quality traffic sign.

The certificate was awarded by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, founded by William McDonough and Michael Braungart. For this purpose, it evaluates the product and the production process. Nabasco®Sign was critically examined on five sustainability criteria.

• Choice of materials (health and safety for people and the environment)
• Reuse of materials
• Renewable energy and CO2 management
• Water consumption in the production process
• Social justice

No waste is created in the production of Nabasco®Sign. It is a thermo-hardening biocomposite, whereby exactly the required amount of raw material per traffic sign goes into a mold. Under great pressure and with the necessary heat, the raw material is pressed into the sign. Because of this process, the sign does not deform afterwards and can withstand extreme temperatures of -50°/+150°. Problems of shrinkage and expansion, hardness and strength of the material and adhesion of foil are therefore excluded with Nabasco® biocomposite. Nabasco®Sign traffic signs comply with all requirements of the applicable standards NEN-EN 12899-1 (with mandatory CE marking) and NEN 3381:2020.

After the end of its use, the sign can be used again as a raw material for the production of new Nabasco biocomposite traffic signs, i.e. circularly.

Already many municipalities and road authorities have switched to Nabasco®Sign.

Nabasco®Sign is a joint venture between NPSP, the leader in bio-based composites, and POL Heteren, a reliable and service-oriented specialist in the traffic and safety market for over 50 years.