Artefact, Almond Board launch almond-shell materials for products and interiors

By AI, Created 11:28 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – Artefact and the Almond Board of California are launching almond shell composite materials for consumer, home, building and vehicle interior products. The partnership aims to turn almond processing waste into domestic, lower-carbon manufacturing inputs and could support a pilot production facility in California’s Central Valley.

Why it matters: - Artefact and the Almond Board of California are positioning almond shells as a new U.S. industrial material, not just an agricultural byproduct. - The partnership could give product brands a domestically sourced alternative to petroleum-based plastics. - The effort supports reshoring manufacturing with regenerative materials grown and processed in the United States.

What happened: - Artefact and the Almond Board of California announced California almond shell composite materials for consumer products, home products, building interiors and vehicle interiors. - The materials are intended for designers at consumer, home, furniture and automotive product companies. - The announcement was made in Berkeley, California, on May 6, 2026. - The two organizations said they share a goal of helping brands create new products using almond co-products.

The details: - California produces nearly 80% of the world’s almonds. - Artefact transforms shells left after almond processing into engineered materials. - Almond shells have historically been used for livestock bedding. - The companies said the new materials create a higher-value use for almond shells. - The materials are designed to give manufacturers and consumer brands clean, sustainable and domestically sourced options. - Natalie Henderson, director of global communications at the Almond Board of California, said the work helps ensure nothing in the orchard goes to waste. - Henderson said the effort builds on a historic portfolio of almond board research focused on value for the industry and surrounding communities. - Artefact is working with growers and processors to find a pilot production facility in California’s Central Valley. - The proposed facility is meant to reduce logistics costs, lower environmental impact and place manufacturing in a rural agricultural region. - Artefact cofounder and CEO Ethan Escowitz said the company sees sustainability as a driver of product design creativity. - Escowitz said regenerative materials should become the standard for manufacturing on U.S. soil with materials grown in U.S. soil. - Escowitz said California’s almond production scale and processing technology make almond shells a strong candidate for this shift.

Between the lines: - The partnership is also a bet that agricultural waste can become a premium input for industrial design. - California’s almond supply chain gives the project a rare combination of scale, maturity and proximity to processing infrastructure. - A Central Valley production site would tie material sourcing, processing and manufacturing into one regional loop.

What’s next: - Artefact will continue working with growers and processors to secure a pilot facility location in California’s Central Valley. - The companies are signaling a broader push to expand almond-shell materials into more product categories. - Artefact is also directing readers to product information and its Instagram account @artefactmade.