5 Forest Based Inventions That Could Change The World
Microchips made out of wood. Nanocellulose film used in medical testing. Biofuels made from sawdust. Could our future be wood based? It certainly is a possibility! Find the latest and most fascinating green technologies and wood-based products being created at the Forest Bioeconomy Future Catalogue.
The Finnish Forest Association has created this searchable online index for sustainable products and services that use trees and forest materials. These aren’t just your average “eco-friendly” products made of plants. Most entries are cutting edge sustainable innovations in commerce, medicine, and even electronics, and all using biodegradable, natural materials. The catalogue calls them products and services of “forest bioeconomy,” reflecting an economic structure that nicely coexists with nature instead of destroying it.
5 Amazing Recent & Renewable Inventions
The catalogue is a fascinating collection of traditional and brand new ways to use the forest in our industries. You can search by keyword, but it is also organized into 6 general categories: Energy, Materials, Products, Services, Technologies, and Other.
Here are just five of their entries which we found particularly exciting, most of them originating from Finland:
Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) have developed a semi-conductor microchip that uses wood as the support layer (the layer that makes up most of the microchip’s strength). Usually microchips are made with non-biodegradable, often toxic materials, but these wood-based chips use a wood-derived material called cellulose nanofibril, which is completely biodegradable and renewable.
Polymers and plastic films are often used for laboratory testing, where samples to be tested are placed on the film for analysis. However, researchers at Aalto University, Finland, have created a nanofibrillar cellulose film that is not only much more environmentally friendly, but can be customized for a diversity of uses and tests. Nanofibrillar cellulose film can can be made water-resistant or waterproof and its electric charge can be changed. The platform is also coated with antibodies. When the test sample is applied or dripped on the film, this coating will react to the by changing color or some other indication. This makes it easier to use outside of the laboratory.
Finnish company, Sulapec, has developed a composite material made from wood chips and biodegradable adhesives which they manufacture into cosmetic containers. The idea came about when two biochemists, Suvi Haimi and Laura Kyllönen, started wondering why not a single one of the dozens of hair and skin care products in their bathrooms came in an environmentally sound container. Sulapec’s solutions are biodegradable, similar in feel and quality to plastic containers, can be molded into almost any form, in any color and a variety of textures, and can even compete with the cheapness of plastics when produced in sufficiently large quantities.
Will our cars be forest powered? As of 2016, the Cellunolix Factory in northeastern Finland uses sawdust from a nearby sawmill to make wood-based ethanol. The process starts with the separation of the lignin, an organic polymer found in plants, from the cellulose in the sawdust. After the cellulose sugars are released, they are fermented with yeast, and finally distilled into 90-percent ethanol. This can be added to conventional petrol. It is the first industrial scale production of its kind in the world. The current production capacity of the mill is ten million liters of ethanol per year.
The Tetra-Rex Biobased was launched in 2015 as the first carton packaging to be made from 100% renewable materials. It looks like your typical milk carton, with plastic cap, etc. However, it is made from plant-based plastics, which are created from polymers derived from sugarcane ethanol, and the Forest Stewardship Council certified paperboard, which is made from wood fiber. All materials are fully traceable to their renewable sources. Once used, it can be rinsed, squashed and deposited in a carton recycling container. At this time, these renewable carton packages are used only for some cartons of Valio Luomu milk and sour milk packages in Finland. However, Valio eventually wants to use 100% renewable packing across its entire product line. Bravo!
These are just a few tastes of the exciting inventions to be found in the Forest Bioeconomy Future Catalogue. New ideas and products will be added on an ongoing basis, and it will be inspiring watching it grow.
About the Finnish Forest Association
The catalogue is the project of the Finnish Forest Association, which was established in 1877 in response to the poor condition of the nation’s forests at the time. They, and others like them, did their job very well because, today, Finland is renowned for its beautiful and thriving forests and the sustainable logging practices of its economy. Since its creation, the Finnish Forest Association has worked for an open communication about both the industrial possibilities of forests and trees for a developing society and sustainable and responsible use of those forest resources. This invitation for communication is directed far beyond the borders of Finland, to anyone or any nation examining ideas for prosperous living within a healthy, natural environment.
Can “Forest Bioeconomies” Really Work?
As we can see from the 5 sustainable wood-based inventions above, there is little need to point out what trees may offer the economy. As a building material, wood is versatile, strong, flexible, beautiful, and still used for all kinds of projects. Of course, trees are only part of a forest. The other plants, grasses, reeds, etc. that spring up from the dirt offer innumerable possibilities for human use. And the industrial value of trees is not only in the material, but also in its sustainability. Trees are one of the few resources that can be readily renewed, a feature that is convenient for maintaining supply as well as making them a natural choice for sustainable manufacturing.
The latter point touches on the other main virtue of a sustainable bioeconomy, and that is the preservation of our environment is fully integrated into the economic structure. Clearly, the forest holds a very deep importance for the Finnish people and their economy reflects this. A forest bioeconomy is essentially a workable way to create an ecosystem that will hold both industrious humans and Earth’s rich forests—which is, of course, exactly what we all need. The Forest Bioeconomy Future Catalogue serves as an inspiring resource for a sustainable, green world.
Vipimo 5 vya Msitu vinavyoweza kubadilisha ulimwengu - Microchips zilizotengenezwa kwa mbao Nanocellulose filamu kutumika katika upimaji wa matibabu. Mafuta ya kibiolojia yanayotokana na mchanga wa mbao. Je, wakati wetu ujao unaweza kuwa wa mbao? Bila shaka kuna uwezekano wa kufanya hivyo! Kupata teknolojia ya hivi karibuni na ya kuvutia zaidi ya kijani na bidhaa za msingi wa mbao zinazotengenezwa katika Kataloghi ya Baadaye ya Uchumi wa Msitu. Shirika la Msitu la Finland limeunda orodha hii inayoweza kutafutwa mtandaoni kwa bidhaa na huduma endelevu zinazotumia miti na vifaa vya msitu. Hizi si tu bidhaa yako ya kawaida "ya mazingira" iliyotengenezwa na mimea. Mawasilisho mengi ni ubunifu wa hali ya juu wa kudumu katika biashara, dawa, na hata umeme, na yote kwa kutumia vifaa vya asili vinavyoweza kuharibika. Katalogi hiyo inawaita bidhaa na huduma za "uchumi wa kibiolojia wa misitu", ikionyesha muundo wa kiuchumi ambao unashirikiana vizuri na asili badala ya kuiharibu. 5 Amazing Recent & Renewable Inventions Catalog ni mkusanyiko wa kuvutia wa njia za jadi na brand mpya ya kutumia misitu katika viwanda vyetu. Unaweza kutafuta kwa maneno muhimu, lakini pia imepangwa katika makundi ya jumla ya 6: Nishati, Vifaa, Bidhaa, Huduma, Teknolojia, na Nyingine. "Hii ni moja ya ""mfano"" wa teknolojia ya kisasa ya kiufundi, ambayo inapatikana katika Chuo Kikuu cha Wisconsin-Madison na Chuo Kikuu cha Marekani cha Kilimo na Misitu ya Misitu (FPL), ambayo hutumia mbao kama kifuniko cha kuunga mkono." Microchips ni vifaa vya bio-kuvunjika, lakini ni vifaa vya mbao vinavyoweza kuharibiwa na kuharibiwa na nyenzo nyingine. Filamu za plastiki na polima hutumiwa kwa majaribio ya maabara, ambapo sampuli zinazopaswa kupimwa huwekwa kwenye filamu kwa uchambuzi. Watafiti wa Chuo Kikuu cha Aalto nchini Finland wametengeneza filamu ya nanofibrillary ya cellulose ambayo inaweza kutumika kwa matumizi mbalimbali. Nanofibrillary cellulose filamu inaweza kuwa maji sugu au waterproof na malipo yake ya umeme inaweza kubadilishwa. Pia jukwaa hilo limefunikwa kwa kingamwili. Wakati sampuli ya mtihani ni kutumika au dripped juu ya filamu, mipako hii itageuka kwa kubadilisha rangi au baadhi ya dalili nyingine. Hilo hufanya iwe rahisi kutumia nje ya maabara. Kampuni ya Sulapec ya Finland imebuni vifaa vya kutengeneza vipande vya mbao na vitambaa vinavyoweza kuharibika. Biolojia ya biochemist Suvi Haimi na Laura Kyllönen, walianza kugundua kuwa hakuna bidhaa yoyote ya ngozi na nywele iliyokuwa katika chupa za mazingira. Sulapec ni biodegradable, sawa katika hisia na ubora kwa vyombo vya plastiki, inaweza kuwa molded katika karibu aina yoyote, katika rangi yoyote na aina ya textures, na inaweza hata kushindana na bei nafuu ya plastiki wakati zinazozalishwa katika kiasi kikubwa vya kutosha. Je, magari yetu yatakuwa na nguvu za misitu? Kiwanda cha Cellulose katika Finland ya Kaskazini Mashariki hutumia mchanga kutoka kwa kiwanda cha karibu cha kuchonga kuni kutengeneza ethanol ya mbao. Utaratibu huo huanza kwa kutenganisha lignin, polima ya kikaboni inayopatikana katika mimea, na selulosi iliyo katika mchanga. Baada ya sukari ya cellulose kutolewa, huchemshwa na chachu, na hatimaye huchemshwa kuwa ethanol ya asilimia 90. Hii inaweza kuongezwa kwa petroli ya kawaida. Ni uzalishaji wa kwanza wa kiwango cha viwanda wa aina yake ulimwenguni. Uwezo wa sasa wa uzalishaji wa kiwanda ni lita milioni kumi za ethanol kwa mwaka. Tetra-Rex Biobased ni kifurushi cha kwanza cha makaratasi kilichoundwa kwa vifaa vya upya vya 100% Inaonekana kama katoni yako ya kawaida ya maziwa, yenye kifuniko cha plastiki, nk. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""Kipande cha plastiki cha mimea, ambacho hutengenezwa kutoka kwa polima zinazotokana na ethanoli ya miwa, na kadi ya karatasi iliyothibitishwa na Baraza la Usimamizi wa Misitu, ambayo hutengenezwa kutoka kwa nyuzi za mbao.""" Vifaa vyote vinaweza kufuatiliwa kikamilifu hadi vyanzo vyao vinavyoweza kurejeshwa. Mara baada ya kutumiwa, inaweza kuoshwa, kupondwa na kuwekwa katika chombo cha kuchakata katoni. Kwa sasa, vifurushi hivi vya katoni vinavyoweza kurejeshwa hutumiwa tu kwa baadhi ya katoni za maziwa ya Valio Luomu na vifurushi vya maziwa ya chumvi nchini Finland. Valio pia inatarajia kuwa na vifaa vya kuunganisha vya 100% vya mbadala katika bidhaa zake zote. Bravo! (Mwenye furaha) Hizi ni baadhi tu ya mapambo ya uvumbuzi wa kusisimua ambayo yanaweza kupatikana katika Katalog ya Baadaye ya Uchumi wa Biolojia ya Msitu. Mawazo mapya na bidhaa zitaongezwa kwa kuendelea, na itakuwa ya kuchochea kuitazama ikikua. Mkataba wa Mkataba wa Misitu ya Finland (FINF) ulifanyika mnamo 1877 na iliundwa kwa sababu ya hali mbaya ya misitu ya Finland. "Watu kama hao walifanya kazi yao vizuri sana kwa sababu leo Finland inajulikana kwa misitu yake maridadi na yenye kusitawi na mazoea ya kukata miti ya kudumu ya uchumi wake.""" Tangu kuanzishwa kwake, Shirika la Msitu la Finland limekuwa likifanya kazi kwa mawasiliano ya wazi kuhusu uwezekano wa viwanda wa misitu na miti kwa jamii inayoendelea na matumizi endelevu na ya uwajibikaji ya rasilimali hizo za misitu. Mwaliko huu wa mawasiliano unaelekezwa mbali zaidi ya mipaka ya Finland, kwa mtu yeyote au taifa lolote linalochunguza mawazo ya kuishi kwa ufanisi ndani ya mazingira ya afya, ya asili. Je, kweli "uchumi wa kibiolojia wa misitu" unaweza kufanya kazi? Kama tunavyoona kutoka kwa uvumbuzi wa miti ya kudumu 5 hapo juu, hakuna haja ya kuelezea nini miti inaweza kutoa kwa uchumi. Kama nyenzo ya ujenzi, mbao ni yenye matumizi mengi, yenye nguvu, yenye kubadilika-badilika, yenye kupendeza, na bado hutumiwa kwa ajili ya aina zote za miradi. Bila shaka, miti ni sehemu tu ya msitu. Mimea mingine, nyasi, mianzi, na kadhalika. Kwa sababu ya kuibuka kwa udongo, kuna uwezekano mwingi wa matumizi ya binadamu. Thamani ya viwanda ya miti haiko tu katika vifaa, lakini pia katika uendelevu wake. Miti ni moja ya rasilimali chache ambazo zinaweza kurejeshwa kwa urahisi, kipengele ambacho ni rahisi kudumisha usambazaji na pia kuwafanya chaguo la asili kwa utengenezaji endelevu. "Hii ni kwa sababu ya umuhimu wa ""bioeconomy"" ya kudumu, ambayo inahusu kuhifadhi mazingira na kuunganisha mazingira na uchumi." Ni wazi, msitu una umuhimu mkubwa sana kwa watu wa Finland na uchumi wao unaonyesha hili. Biokonomia ya misitu ni njia inayofaa ya kuunda mfumo wa ikolojia ambao utahifadhi wanadamu wenye bidii na misitu tajiri ya Dunia - ambayo, kwa kweli, ni kile tu tunachohitaji. Kataloghi ya Baadaye ya Uchumi wa Misitu hutumika kama rasilimali ya kuhamasisha kwa ulimwengu endelevu, kijani.