The
Bast
FAQ

Our company is named after the bast fibres that can be found in plants such as jute, kenaf, flax and hemp. These fibres occur in bundles in the phloem or under the outer bark. BFT uses a proprietary process to individualize and clean these fibres for use in consumer products including wipes, pads, and diapers.

Bast fibres are an ideal raw material for nonwoven applications. These fibres are sustainable to grow and can directly replace plastic fibres in existing products. Our proprietary process allows us to create premium fibres that are tailored to the needs of nonwoven companies and their customers. By using bast fibres like hemp or flax, nonwoven products can be compostable and truly sustainable, rather than contributing to the problem of plastic waste in landfill and water ways.

Bast fibres can be used for a variety of applications, including nonwoven and textiles. Our high-performance fibres are engineered to run well on the major nonwoven platforms to create products that biodegrade naturally once discarded. They’re an ideal alternative to plastic fibres and can be used in applications ranging from single-use products such as wet wipes to durable products such as mops.

There is an increasing need to reduce global reliance on single-use plastic products. By using bast fibres like hemp or flax, nonwoven companies can produce compostable and plastic-free products without creating unsustainable pressure on global forest resources. Bast plants are high-yield crops and can be grown in existing agricultural systems in almost any climate zone with minimal impact on soil and low irrigation or treatment. Additionally, the quick growth cycle and high yield makes bast plants some of nature’s most efficient carbon sequesters. For example, a standard hemp crop will sequester over 13 tonnes of CO₂ per hectare in only 100 days. Each plant in the dense canopy stands around two meters tall, and the entire plant is commercially useful, from the roots up the stems to the seeds and the flowers. A deep root system helps prevent erosion and adds organic matter to the soil, improving soil health.

BFT sources fibre from Western Europe and North America. We’re continuing to build out our hemp fibre supply chain which includes supporting local growers and decorticators who we rely on to supply us with our feedstock.

Are you interested in working with us? Please contact info@bastfibretech.com.

The BFT supply chain vision is to source, process, and sell within defined geographic regions. We focus on key regions with historical expertise in bast crop cultivation and nonwoven fabric construction. That’s why we have our facilities located in the US in Lumberton, NC, and in Germany in Tönisvorst, NRW, with proximity to major growing centers for both hemp and flax.

We developed our fibre to blend easily with other fibres typically used by the nonwoven industry. sero^TM hemp and noval^TM flax fibres have been designed to run well on the major nonwoven platforms and combine with other fibres as desired to produce a variety of fabric possibilities.

There’s a strong demand for plastic-free single-use nonwoven products, therefore there’s a need for a sustainable solution for raw materials that can be grown efficiently with minimum environmental impact and minimum waste. Hemp is ideal for that as it is a multipurpose annual rotational crop, where every part of the plant can be utilized. Also, bast fibres like hemp have inherent strength, durability, and a cloth like feel, among many other benefits. BFT’s advanced fibre processing method carefully individualizes, cleans, and softens each fibre while maintaining its integral structure. By preserving the natural structure of these fibres, BFT ensures that their absorbency can be inherited by the nonwoven fabrics.

Because the growth of hemp was limited by regulations in many regions in the world until recently, there has been minimal interest in industrial hemp farming and processing.

Our innovative team at BFT saw the potential of these sustainable plants and we developed our proprietary processes that successfully separate the fibres and preserve their intrinsic structure. We’re poised to be the world's largest specialty hemp fibre processing and purification company and we’re excited to champion the use of hemp in compostable, truly sustainable nonwoven products.

We have a partnership with Circular Systems, who bring our truly natural, sustainable fibre to the textile market. If you are interested in using hemp in your textiles, please contact xxxx@bastfibretech.com.

BFT was founded in 2016 with the corporate office established in Victoria, Canada. We then opened a second corporate office in Greenville, SC (USA) to connect with the well-established nonwoven industry in the Southeast. In October 2021, BFT announced the acquisition of its first commercial production facility in Europe, allowing the company to quickly transition from an R&D company into a full-fledged commercial entity. In January 2022, BFT announced the acquisition of their first North American natural fibre processing facility in North Carolina. In October 2022, BFT secured a major strategic financing with Ahlström Capital of Finland. With this financing, BFT immediately started to expand fibre manufacturing capacity in the United States and in Europe to become the world’s largest specialty hemp fibre processing and purification company.

The corporate Head Office of Bast Fibre Tech is in Canada, with locations in the US (headquarters in Greenville, SC, and production facility in Lumberton, NC) and in Europe (headquarters and production facility in Tönisvorst, Germany).

Do you like what you’ve heard about our company, and would you like to be part of our innovative, dynamic team? Please visit here for more information on current job openings.

We’re happy to send you some of our fibre and fabric samples if you are interested. Please contact sales@bastfibretech.com with some information about your company’s fibre needs.