Page 57 - Plastics News September 2026
P. 57
TECHNOLOGY NEWS
UBC Researchers Develops Wood Foam As Alternate To
Plastic Packaging
to make biodegradable pack-
aging and insulation products.
The intellectual property be-
hind the technology is jointly
owned by UBC and YLP.
At the plant, softwood species
including spruce, pine and fir
are processed with heat, me-
chanical methods and limited
chemical additives to produce
the foam.
ilot manufacturing site in Vancouver, Can- In packaging, the material is in-
ada, has started producing “wood foam”, tended to decompose in soil within months.
Pa material developed at the University
of British Columbia (UBC) and brought into pro- The site is also making insulation panels treated
duction via a partnership with the Wet’suwet’en to meet building performance standards. This
First Nation. segment of the market currently depends large-
ly on imported wood-based products.
The site turns wood fibre into lightweight blocks
for packaging and insulation uses. Jiang’s lab is still involved in the next stage of
development, including testing different feed-
The work involves Feng Jiang of UBC’s faculty stock mixes and widening possible uses. A key
of forestry and environmental stewardship and role in the move from research to production
DicinFoam, a majority-owned subsidiary of YLP, is being played by DicinFoam chief technology
the Wet’suwet’en First Nation’s business arm. officer Yeling Zhu. The Vancouver operation is
The process uses wood waste from logging ac- producing 150kg to 200kg of wood foam a day.
tivity and forest fires, material that might other-
wise be burned or thrown away. It is being used
September 2026 PLASTICS NEWS 61
