Marmoleum Cocoa is a bio-based flooring collection by Forbo Flooring that incorporates unwanted cocoa shells into its natural material composition. Expanding the brand's existing Marmoleum range, the surface is manufactured from up to 98% natural raw materials, including linseed oil, wood flour, jute, and repurposed cocoa shells. Available in 16 colorways, the cocoa shell inclusions create distinctive organic textures while giving new purpose to an agricultural by-product that is typically discarded.
The flooring was developed in collaboration with Dutch social enterprise Kumasi Commodity Innovations, which also repurposes cocoa harvest by-products by producing beverages from cocoa fruit juice. Through the partnership, Forbo Flooring sources cocoa shells in a way that supports cocoa farming communities while advancing circular material practices.
Image Credit: Forbo
What's Driving This Trend
- Agri-waste Materials
- Discarded crop by-products are becoming premium inputs for durable surfaces, creating room for material brands to differentiate through circular sourcing and novel natural textures.
- Bio-based Interiors
- Plant-derived ingredients in flooring and finishes are reshaping sustainable design expectations as buyers seek lower-impact products with familiar commercial performance.
- Community-linked Sourcing
- Partnerships with social enterprises and farming communities add traceability and shared-value narratives to building materials, expanding how sustainability is measured beyond product composition.
Who This Affects Most
- Flooring
- Natural composite flooring is moving toward agricultural by-product integration, opening space for surfaces that combine resilience, aesthetics, and waste reduction.
- Interior Design
- Specifiers are gaining access to bio-based materials with distinctive organic finishes, supporting interiors that visually communicate sustainability without sacrificing color choice or texture.
- Agriculture
- Cocoa supply chains are finding new revenue pathways through shell and fruit by-product utilization, connecting farm waste streams to higher-value manufacturing markets.
