As the world celebrates the UN’s Creativity and Innovation Day, we should shine a light on extraordinary wood-based innovations, Chief Executive Officer of the Victorian Forest Products Association (VFPA) Deb Kerr said today.
“Using a material as versatile as wood has so many benefits. Industries that have come to rely on fossil fuels are struggling to achieve their sustainability goals. The fashion industry, battery manufacturers, and the building sector traditionally use carbon- or chemical-intense materials. By using innovation in wood products, they can reduce their overall environmental impact,” stated Deb Kerr.
Wood products have existed for millennia, but while wood is one of the oldest materials, it has constantly evolved. Breakthroughs in science meant finding different uses for wood, sometimes in surprising ways:
- Wood fibre for clothing
- Fire-resistant structural wood
- Sawdust waste used to produce 3D-printed objects
- Wood-fibre beer bottles
- Glass made from cellulose
- Wooden batteries.
These are just some of the exciting recent developments. As different as these products are, they have one thing in common. They are made from a 100% renewable material. Manufacturers can lower their carbon footprint simply by using more wood. While not all of them have made it to market yet, the sector keeps reinventing itself.
“These innovations show that while forestry is one of the oldest industries, it is also a sunrise industry. For anyone looking for a job with variety, innovation and technology, forestry might be the right fit. It’s certainly not the forestry sector of yesteryear!”, Deb Kerr concluded.
ENDS
About World Creativity and Innovation Day
There may be no universal understanding of creativity. The concept is open to interpretation from artistic expression to problem-solving in the context of economic, social and sustainable development. Therefore, the United Nations designated 21 April as World Creativity and Innovation Day to raise awareness of the role of creativity and innovation in all aspects of human development.