FoamBloxx: Conquering the Market with Plant-Based and Recycled Foam

100 percent is not yet achievable

The startup is doing this by setting a good example itself. Half of the raw materials used to make FoamBloxx’s plastic foams are bio-based or recycled. Only when this minimum threshold of 50 percent is met is the foam called ecologically produced foam: ECOfoam. “Our goal is 100 percent, but unfortunately that isn’t possible yet,” says Berghuis.

“Then it won’t foam. You need raw materials that combine to form a foam, and some of those still include fossil-based chemicals for which there is no alternative yet. Otherwise, it becomes too expensive. We are constantly innovating to get that percentage as high as possible. We can already go higher, but customers aren’t quite willing to pay for it yet, so we adapt to what they want. If we have customers who want a higher percentage and are willing to pay for it, we can already offer that. We make products to order.”

Leading the way in sustainability

FoamBloxx is a spin-off from family business Uxem, which is celebrating its 52nd anniversary this year. When her father and the company’s founder, Allard Berghuis—who passed away earlier this year—moved the business to Lelystad at the start of this century, he already felt the urgency to make foam more sustainably. At the time, the industry was mainly focused on using alternative blowing agents to replace CFCs, which damage the ozone layer, and HFCs, which contribute to global warming. Both have since been banned.

Uxem mainly bought foam for processing, but her father wanted to develop it in-house. “He was far ahead of the curve on sustainability and wanted to make foam without blowing agents,” his daughter says. “He secured Flevoland’s first innovation grant and simply got started.”

Berghuis senior developed his own machine based on a vacuum process and proved that foam could be made without blowing agents.

ECOfoam division spun off from parent company

He also began developing an innovative, sustainable foam, ECOfoam, in 2007. At first, it was not intended as a commercial venture. The goal was for at least half of the raw materials used in the foam to come from nature. It took years to achieve this.

When Suzanne Berghuis took over the company sixteen years ago, she wanted to make it even more sustainable and continued that development. In 2024, the ECOfoam division was spun off as FoamBloxx. “That allows the companies to grow independently. A long-established company like Uxem has a different atmosphere from a startup, where the mindset is different. There, the focus is on sustainability, innovation and making an impact,” she explains. “FoamBloxx could also become very large. That calls for different investors and different customers, even Uxem’s competitors. So the companies need to be independent of one another.”

High demand for recycled foam

Making polyurethane (PU) foam from plant-based or recycled raw materials is not easy, Berghuis has learned over the past few years. “We’ve tried a hundred different options. These range from plant-based oils to some very unusual raw materials. You can’t simply use raw materials from nature in foam, because they won’t do anything. You have to convert them into a bio-polyol. We carry out that conversion process in-house, which makes us unique. In that respect, we really are green chemistry.”

She is also a big fan of recycled raw materials. “That’s why we’re pursuing both,” she says. “So we use not only bio-based raw materials, but recycled ones too. For example, mattresses are recycled into polyol, which we can then use in our foam. We also turn all the leftover material returned to us or remaining from ECOfoam into 100 percent recycled foam. We call this ECO rebonded foam. There is currently a great deal of demand for it, as people in all kinds of industries are looking for sustainable alternatives to foam. Demand far exceeds what we can supply, so we need to scale up quickly.”

Scaling up with a new demonstration plant

FoamBloxx is ahead of traditional startups when it comes to scaling up. For years, it has been able to benefit from Uxem’s facilities, experience and scale, and the two companies still work closely together. “Innovation and setting this up takes years, and we’ve already put many of those years to good use,” says Berghuis.

The parent company was the first customer, testing FoamBloxx’s sustainable foam blocks and providing feedback until they were optimal. The first pilot plant could be built at Uxem, and the expansion of the demonstration plant is also taking place within the familiar walls of its Lelystad premises. “We now rent two halls in the Uxem building. We’re building a second machine there, with three to four times the capacity,” she says. “Construction starts in October, and it should be operational by mid-2027.”

A plant’s capacity is measured in tonnes, but that still doesn’t amount to very much when it comes to foam. “It always sounds a bit pathetic when we say what we produce, because it’s 90 percent air. We’re now scaling up to annual production of one kiloton,” she explains.

Funding needed for first commercial plant

FoamBloxx has secured €1.2 million in funding for the larger demonstration plant. The next step is to build its first commercial plant. The startup has already bought land for it in Lelystad, next to Uxem. “We’ll remain sister companies. We can use Uxem’s waste, and Uxem can use our blocks. That also saves on transport costs,” she says.

Construction of the new plant is expected to start in 2027 and be completed in 2028. It will require several million euros, and the company is still seeking funding.

Customers who want to lead the way

FoamBloxx’s foam is used in a wide range of applications, including acoustics and sound insulation, seals, packaging, meeting pods, children’s play centres, sponges, cleaning products and various technical applications. “Our customers have sustainability at the heart of their identity and want to lead their markets,” says Berghuis.

She also sees the packaging market as a potential customer. Since August, the EU’s so-called Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) has been in force. Among other things, the regulation requires packaging to contain a certain percentage of recycled material from 2030. “The packaging industry is a sector where you can really see that customers want this alternative and understand they have to pay a little more for it, but also understand they have no choice. We’re well positioned to meet that demand,” she says.

Taking products to market with help from the Green Chemistry Accelerator

This year, FoamBloxx is one of the participants in the Green Chemistry Accelerator (GCA), run by the Groene Chemie Nieuwe Economie (GCNE) platform. The program was set up in partnership with Invest-NL and the regional development agencies (ROMs) to help startups and scale-ups expand their innovations, find investors and build demonstration plants. This helps remove barriers so they can reach the market sooner.

During the GCA, each participant works with experts and partners to develop a concrete plan for around 200 days. The process examines the most important goals to achieve, whether there is demand and a customer base for the product, and whether the business case stacks up. This is essential to attracting investors.

A remarkable network of experts

Berghuis describes the program as “valuable and inspiring. You’re in an environment where you can talk about anything, including what isn’t going well. That way, you can learn from one another. It’s truly a kind of growth accelerator.”

In particular, the connections with other startups motivated her. “It’s very special that they bring us together through this program,” she says. “Green chemistry is a very broad field, and most companies know they have to go it alone as a startup. Here, you get access to a network of experts who help you gain momentum. Every participant brings something to the table. I have, for example, a little more business experience and may be a bit more realistic.”

The GCA program places a strong emphasis on finding customers and developing viable business cases. FoamBloxx is already further along in this respect than the other participating startups. Berghuis says: “We started this innovation back in 2007 and have already achieved milestones in the pilot phase. We were able to grow within the family business, where there was room for innovation. We already have many customers, but they sometimes still find it a bit expensive. The challenge is: how do we find customers who are willing to pay more for sustainability? These kinds of initiatives are never cheaper. Organic tomatoes aren’t cheaper either. That’s why it helps to have more regulation, so customers have to become more sustainable and cheaper alternatives from China don’t undercut us.”