Category Archives: Wood, Paper & Green Building

UK – The Wood Recyclers’ Association (WRA) welcomed the publication of a new Regulatory Position Statement (RPS) in England specifically for waste wood, following successful calls from the WRA on behalf of the waste wood industry. RPS 361 allows sites which have been impacted by unplanned downtime at biomass plants, incinerators and panel board manufacturing facilities to apply to temporarily exceed their permitted storage limits. Importantly, the RPS applies to sites storing wood destined for panel board manufacture for the first time. …The RPS comes following ongoing pressure in the waste wood market, with many sites inundated with material – something the WRA has been in regular discussions with the regulators about across the four nations. Vicki Hughes. said “This RPS gives permitted sites storing waste wood in England the opportunity to apply for additional storage and help ensure this material is not sent to landfill or incineration.”

Japan — Plastic pollution has proven stubbornly resistant to quick fixes. Even so-called biodegradable plastics often linger in the environment, breaking down into microplastics that spread through ecosystems and bodies alike. Now, researchers in Japan say they have created a plant-based plastic that sidesteps that trap. The material stays strong during use, yet breaks down rapidly in natural settings without leaving microscopic debris behind. …Cellulose-based plastics already exist, but most do not decompose quickly in marine environments. …The new plastic builds on that earlier concept. One polymer comes from carboxymethyl cellulose, a wood-pulp derivative that is already FDA-approved and biodegradable. The second component proved harder to identify. After extensive testing, the team selected a safe crosslinking agent made from positively charged polyethylene-imine guanidinium ions.

Michael Green

When the first skyscraper was built in Chicago in 1885 … people were afraid … it would collapse. Today, as towers made of wood go up around the world, the response is a similar mixture of wonder and fear. …but the truth is that wooden construction is healthier, both for people and for the planet. Buildings and construction are the largest source of anthropogenic greenhouse gases… A building’s structural elements, typically steel and concrete, are “a huge component of that carbon footprint”, says architect Michael Green. …Green was an early advocate of wooden construction and continues to think about improving the construction industry’s climate impact. His question now is what new structural material could replace the big four widely used in construction: wood, steel, concrete and masonry. One possibility, which he favours, would be creating a material from plant fibres that can be formed into organic, efficient shapes, minimizing waste and capturing carbon at the same time.

Leuna, Germany — Staring at a pile of freshly cut beechwood, forestry manager Johannes Brodowski wonders if he is looking at the future of Germany’s chemicals industry. A local factory will use Brodowski’s trees and other organic material — instead of climate-harming fossil fuels — to make chemical products used to manufacture items ranging from packaging to car tyres and fleece jackets. “The innovative part of the whole thing is that a new product is getting made,” he told AFP: “Namely, chemical materials that were originally made from fossil fuels and now can be made from renewable sources.” Finnish group UPM Biochemicals unveiled its 1.3-billion-euro ($1.5-billion) biorefinery in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt this year, taking a big risk at a difficult time for the sector.

HONG KONG — While the exact cause of the deadly inferno that swept across a Hong Kong apartment complex was unknown, questions have been raised about the role of the bamboo scaffolding that enveloped the buildings at the time of the fire. The blaze, which has left at least 94 dead, has focused attention on the use of the ancient construction technique used for more than 1,000 years. Bamboo poles lashed together using wire and other strong materials are often found at construction sites in Asia, and the scaffolding is commonly seen around Hong Kong. Officials said Wednesday’s fire started on the external scaffolding of a 32-storey tower, spread to the inside of the building and then to six other towers, likely aided by windy conditions. …Whatever the outcome of the investigation into what caused the fire, the days of using bamboo in Hong Kong appear numbered.

When Air New Zealand decided to build its new Hangar 4 at Auckland Airport, the brief sought scale, performance, and sustainability. The result? The largest free-spanning timber arch in the Southern Hemisphere and the first mass timber aircraft maintenance hangar anywhere in the world. The Hyne Group congratulates Air New Zealand and the project team upon official completion and opening of the much-anticipated Air New Zealand Hangar 4 at Auckland Airport. …Chair of the Hyne Group and James Jones & Sons Group, Tom Bruce-Jones said, “I am immensely proud of all stakeholders involved with this project… By embracing timber as a core material, we are not only delivering architectural excellence but championing sustainable construction practices.” …Spanning 100 metres in length, with 97 metres of clearance and soaring 35.6 metres high, this landmark project demonstrates just what precision-engineered timber, smart design, and close collaboration can achieve in aviation infrastructure.

HONG KONG — A fire spread across seven high-rise apartment buildings in a Hong Kong housing complex, killing 13 people and leaving others still trapped, in the city’s worst blaze in years. …At least 15 others were injured, and about 700 people have been evacuated to temporary shelters. The raging fire sent up a column of flames and thick smoke as it spread quickly on bamboo scaffolding and construction netting that had been set up around the exterior of the housing complex in Tai Po district. Records show the housing complex consisted of eight buildings with almost 2,000 apartments. Multiple buildings close to each other were ablaze, with bright flames and smoke shooting out of many of the apartments’ windows as night fell. …Officials said that it started at the external scaffolding of one of the buildings and later spread to inside the building and also to nearby buildings, likely aided by windy conditions.