Wood foam made from logging waste: startup produces 400 pounds daily as plastic substitute

The University of British Columbia and a spinout company are transforming leftover wood from logging and milling into a lightweight, foam-like material designed to replace polystyrene in packaging. A small production line in East Vancouver is already turning out several hundred pounds a day, signaling a potential shift for both waste management in forestry and the packaging industry’s reliance on long-lived plastics.

This new “wood foam” aims to tackle two problems at once: reducing the plastic waste that fragments into microplastics and lingering in ecosystems for centuries, and putting low-value timber residue — sawdust, chips, and pulp — to productive use instead of letting it accumulate or burn.

From mill scrap to packaging: how the process works

The technology takes in low-grade forest fiber and transforms it into a foamed panel through mechanical and thermal processing. Wood residues are blended into a uniform slurry, then fed into equipment that expands and shapes the material before heat-pressing it into stiff panels suitable for cushioning and protective inserts.

Key production steps

• Collection of low-value pulp, sawmill chips, and other forestry residues
• Homogenization into a consistent feedstock
• Foaming and shaping in specialized machinery
• Thermal pressing to set panels with the desired density and strength

The developers say this route extracts more value from timber that would otherwise be overlooked, turning byproducts into everyday packaging components.

Why this matters for plastics and forests

Polystyrene foam is widely used because it’s light and inexpensive, but it creates persistent pollution. Scientists estimate that expanded polystyrene can take about a millennium to break down fully, and it fragments into microplastics that spread easily through the environment. Replacing such materials with a wood-based alternative could cut both plastic waste and the demand for virgin petrochemical feedstocks.

At the same time, forestry operations routinely leave a significant share of harvested wood as residue. Industry figures point to roughly a third of a tree’s mass going unused in many processes — material that accumulates on forest floors, contributes to fire risk, or requires additional handling and disposal at sawmills. Turning that residue into a commercially viable product can reduce waste and create local manufacturing jobs.

Pilot production and scaling plans

A pilot plant in East Vancouver is currently producing approximately 400 pounds daily of the wood foam product. The research originated at UBC and has been commercialized by a company formed by the project leads, with an eye toward much larger facilities.

The company is pursuing a staged expansion:

• Short-term goal: build a 1,000-ton-per-year plant on the shores of Burns Lake, on the territory of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation.
• Long-term target: scale to a 15,000-ton-per-year operation on Vancouver Island, where the team expects cost parity with polystyrene.

Leaders involved emphasize that even capturing a small fraction of currently unused timber could make a meaningful dent in the volume of plastics used for disposable packaging.

Economic and community implications

If the projected economies of scale are reached, wood-based foam panels could compete directly with polystyrene on price while offering a lower environmental footprint. That commercial viability is central to adoption: businesses look for performance and cost-alignment, and consumers increasingly demand sustainable alternatives.

There are additional community benefits when local feedstocks and manufacturing sites are used:

• New employment opportunities in rural and Indigenous communities
• Reduced transportation emissions when processing facilities are sited near timber sources
• Greater value retention in regional economies rather than exporting raw residues

The Burns Lake proposal, in particular, ties the new facility to Wet’suwet’en territory ownership, which could provide both revenue and local control over resource processing.

Environmental trade-offs and hurdles to adoption

Replacing a fossil-derived foam with wood-based material removes one set of problems but introduces new considerations. Sourcing must be managed to avoid driving demand for additional logging or diverting fibers needed for other wood products. Lifecycle assessments will be important to ensure the wood foam’s overall climate and ecological benefits.

Other challenges include:

• Scaling production without compromising material performance
• Meeting regulatory and industry standards for packaging and transport safety
• Establishing recycling or composting pathways for the new material

Early testing will need to demonstrate that wood-based foam resists moisture, supports repeated handling, and performs under the stresses expected in shipping and storage.

Broader innovation in forestry-based materials

This wood-foam effort sits alongside other projects that use locally sourced timber and residues to create higher-value, lower-impact products. Examples include modular housing systems built from local wood, craft initiatives that repurpose urban tree trimmings, and bioplastics derived from bamboo and other plant fibers. Together, these developments point toward a growing market for circular, forest-based materials that can replace single-use plastics in multiple applications.

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Michael Thompson

Michael Thompson is an experienced journalist covering U.S. and global news. With ten years on the front lines, he breaks down political and economic stories that matter. His precise writing and keen attention to detail help you grasp the real‑world impact of every event.