Natural Fiber Welding and the Future of Materials That Love All They Touch
“Design is the first signal of human intention. So what if our intention was to use no plastic at all? To build with nature, not just for it?”
In Peoria, Illinois—a place perhaps more associated with tractors than tectonic shifts—an innovation is growing that asks a question as bold as it is beautiful:
What if materials could be made entirely from nature, engineered for high performance, and safely return to the earth when their job is done?
Natural Fiber Welding (NFW) isn’t just imagining that world—it’s building it. With a platform of entirely biobased materials, this company is rethinking everything from shoes to steering wheels. No plastic. No toxins. Just radical design aligned with the cycles of life.
This is the kind of work we honor through Celebrating the Ingenious, a program of the McDonough Institute that shines light on those transforming commerce with curiosity and compassion. NFW is not only sustainable—it is alive with intention.
Let’s explore how Natural Fiber Welding brings the Five Goods™ to life—a framework for recognizing design that serves both people and planet.
NFW’s portfolio of plant based materials. L-R MIRUM, CLARUS, PLIANT, TUNERA
GOOD MATERIALS™
Engineered by nature, without plastic
MIRUM®, CLARUS®, PLIANT™, and TUNERA™—these aren’t just brand names; they’re building blocks for a new materials economy. Together, they offer alternatives to leather, synthetics, rubber, and foam—with zero plastic content.
Where most “vegan leathers” quietly hide polyurethane, MIRUM stands proud: 100% biobased, engineered with natural oils, minerals, and rubber. BMW tested it. Fashion brands use it. And when its time is up, it biodegrades gracefully.
This is what happens when we move from extractive materials to regenerative design. When the material is the message, and that message is: “Plastic is not our destiny.”
“Waste is a human concept. Nature doesn’t have waste—only food.”
GOOD ENERGY™
Built for clean, circular flow
While NFW isn’t an energy company, it’s powered by the idea that energy use should mirror ecological flows. Its materials require no petroleum refining, no petrochemical synthesis, and far less embodied energy than conventional plastics or tanned leather.
MIRUM’s carbon footprint? Up to 10 times lower than PU or animal leather. CLARUS extends the life of natural fibers—so we get more performance with less input. TUNERA and PLIANT cure rubber and foam with plant-based chemistry, skipping toxic accelerants and plasticizers entirely.
This is energy in service of clean chemistry, not complexity. And it’s pushing us closer to a net-positive world, one molecule at a time.
“Energy is not just a utility. It is the metabolism of our design choices.”
GOOD WATER™
Protecting what we don’t pollute
You won’t find toxic dyes, microplastic shedding, or chrome tanning in NFW’s materials. And because they’re built without synthetic polymers, they don’t leach persistent pollutants into soil or waterways.
Every MIRUM wallet that replaces plastic-based “vegan leather,” every PLIANT outsole that skips petro-based rubber—these aren’t just substitutions. They’re small but mighty acts of restoration. Of respect.
By designing for compostability and safe degradation, NFW materials honor water’s sacred role: not just as a process input, but as a living system to be safeguarded.
“If design is the first signal of intention, water is the first test of integrity.”
GOOD ECONOMY™
Circular, shared, and scaled with care
NFW doesn’t stop at inventing great materials. It builds the ecosystems needed to scale them. Its partnerships span from Patagonia to BMW, from Vivobarefoot to H&M. But this isn’t green gloss. These are deep supply chain collaborations that displace plastic—without displacing performance.
NFW’s technologies integrate into existing factories, meaning companies don’t need to retool to make the switch. That’s not just innovation—it’s inclusion.
The company also works with regenerative agriculture partners—sourcing natural rubber and cotton in ways that enrich soils, not strip them.
“Commerce can be the engine of healing—if it remembers who it serves.”
GOOD LIVES™
Safe, dignified, and human-centered
At the core of NFW’s philosophy is a radical idea: that products should be safe enough to touch, wear, and return to the earth. That materials should support life, not harm it. That beauty doesn’t require compromise.
By designing plastic-free, toxin-free materials, NFW protects the people who make and wear them—from factory workers to end users. The absence of phthalates, VOCs, and heavy metals is not a regulatory box check—it’s a moral baseline.
Moreover, by revitalizing natural fibers and rural supply chains, the company helps farmers, makers, and communities participate in the circular economy—not just observe it from the sidelines.
“To design for life is to include every life touched along the way.”
What We Can Learn
Natural Fiber Welding reminds us that innovation isn’t always about high-tech—it’s about high-trust. Trust in nature’s chemistry. Trust in materials that decompose rather than disrupt. Trust that business, too, can be a force for regeneration.
With hundreds of brand partnerships and multiple material families already in market, NFW proves that a plastic-free future isn’t a fantasy. It’s a choice. And it’s available now.
This isn’t just clever engineering—it’s elegant ecology. A materials system that starts well, stays clean, and ends well.
It is our joy to celebrate NFW and its visionary leadership. May their example inspire us all to design with purpose, build with respect, and return our creations to the earth with grace.
“The future is not something we await. It is something we weave—one natural fiber at a time.”
