Tequila waste can help create wood-like material

A Mexican startup has developed a wood-like material from tequila waste and recycled plastic that can be used to make items such as tables and chairs.
The company used agave bagasse from the tequila industry and recycled plastic to create the material which is stronger than natural wood.
To create the material, the alcohol and sugar content is first removed from agave bagasse, leaving nothing but the fibre.
That fibre is then dried and ground into a flour-like powder, to which a chemical agent is added - that agent allows the fibre powder to bond with waste plastics such as polypropylene and polyethylene, which make up 65 to 90 per cent of the composite material.

The finished product is claimed to be stronger than natural wood, and takes the form of tablets measuring 1m x 1.2m x 10cm from which pieces can be cut as needed.
The company, Plastinova, suggests that it could be made into items such as construction forms, benches, tables and chairs, 'Gizmag' reported.
The company is now looking into replacing the agave bagasse with coconut fibre, as lab tests have indicated that it should offer higher strength.
Additionally, the agave bagasse can be difficult to acquire, as tequila companies usually keep it to fuel their boilers.