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Hempflax

Sustainability as a philosophy

Hempflax, founded in 1994, processes industrial fiber hemp into semi-finished products for various industrial applications, including the automotive, construction and food industries. The company came to DEKRA to have the entire chain, from cultivation to delivery, certified against sustainability label ISCC PLUS. Read our interview with Annelieke de Haart, Plant Manager at Hempflax.

Hemp is hot. That becomes clear when talking to Annelieke de Haart, plant manager of the Oude Pekela processing site in Groningen. Annelieke: “Hemp has made a huge comeback in recent years. Until the 1990s, the cultivation, harvesting and development of the crop was practically at a standstill.
A change in the law in 1993 created more space in the market for hemp, and thus for us. Last year, after years of research and development, we processed a record 12,000 tons of hemp at our sites in the Netherlands and Romania. That was a real milestone for us.”
Hempflax was founded in 1994 on a very sustainable vision: to leave a healthy planet for future generations. That focus on sustainability is woven throughout the company. Annelieke: “Hemp is a fantastic product that can be used for many industrial applications. You can do anything with it, for example by mixing it with other natural and synthetic fibers. And it is also enormously sustainable.
This sustainability is very important to us; we are constantly trying to develop not only the product but also its sustainability throughout the chain. Certification to demonstrate that focus on sustainability was therefore a logical step for us.”

Sustainability certification

Hempflax has been certified by DEKRA for the International Standard for Carbon Certification (ISCC PLUS). This scheme secures chain sustainability of the production process including the delivery of the product to customers. This means that it can be demonstrated that Hempflax grows, processes and delivers to its customers in a sustainable manner throughout the chain.
For example, no pesticides or chemicals are used and the raw materials are also transported in the most sustainable way possible. Annelieke: “With a reach all over the world, we wanted to use an international standard to underpin our focus on sustainability. The ISCC PLUS certification has become a truly unique selling point for our customers. We are proud of that.”
Annelieke describes the ongoing cooperation with DEKRA as very smooth: “Sustainability and the circular economy are important principles for us. Certification by DEKRA allows us to demonstrably comply with the guidelines that support this philosophy. As a knowledgebased organization, DEKRA knows how to support us in this. We find the cooperation with DEKRA itself very pleasant. But also the contact with the auditor is always particularly smooth.”

A jack of all trades

Annelieke: “Hemp is one of the most durable, hard-wearing and strong fibers available. Because we mix hemp fiber with other natural fibers and because we use the entire plant, we can serve many different markets. For example, we supply hemp composite for automotive parts, furniture and building materials, hemp fiber among other things as insulation and for animal care products, hemp seeds as super food and hemp seed oil for various other foods.
There is even a belief in the automotive industry, “You must have Hempflax fiber.” That's a huge compliment and also an incentive to keep innovating.”
Annelieke indicates that she sees a bright future for Hempflax: “The trend is and remains sustainability; manufacturers are looking for increasingly sustainable materials, either because they want it themselves or because legislation requires it. By combining our focus on innovation with our passion for sustainability, we stay one step ahead of the competition and know how to stand out in the market. The ISCC PLUS certification really gives us an edge in this respect.”