For decades, most city skylines have been composed of skyscrapers and tall buildings made of concrete, steel and glass.

But what if there were a building material that was strong enough to construct an 18-story building, came from entirely renewable resources, didn’t make cities hotter and helped sequester carbon and other pollutants?

Meet mass timber, the durable, beautiful, fire-resistant and environmentally-friendly building material that is changing the face of skylines. This wood-based building material has a considerably lower carbon footprint, generating fewer carbon emissions during and after construction.

In fact, one study found a 19 percent reduction in emissions when comparing a mass timber structure with an equally sized steel structure.¹ Mass timber also comes from a renewable, naturally-growing resource: trees.

In this guide, we’re looking at the benefits of mass timber and how it is reshaping the commercial building industry. We’re also taking a close look at the story of 619 Ponce, an entirely locally-sourced mass timber structure championed in part by the Georgia Forestry Foundation in the heart of Atlanta.

• What is Mass Timber (and why is it important)?
• Types of Mass Timber Products
• Why are Mass Timber Buildings Gaining Popularity?
• What Type of Trees is Mass Timber Made From?
• What are the Benefits of Mass Timber?
• Examples of Mass Timber Buildings
• 619 Ponce Mass Timber Building Success Story
• Rayonier’s Role in the Mass Timber Revolution

What is Mass Timber (and why is it important)?

Mass timber is made from prefabricated, multilayered, solid wood panels that create solid timber building materials, such as:

• Beams and columns,
• Floor, roof and wall panels,
• Tall wall framing studs and roof rafters,
• Door and window headers, and more.

Types of Mass Timber Products

Mass timber products, like those made with New England Forestry timber, come from renewable and sustainably-harvested wood products. Types of mass timber products include:

• Cross-laminated timber (CLT): Layers of wood stacked and glued at right angles, creating strong, stable panels ideal for walls, floors and roofs.
  
  
• Glue-laminated timber (glulam): Long beams made from layers of wood bonded together, often used for load-bearing columns and arches. It can be curved or bent for unique architectural designs during its construction.
  
  
• Nail-laminated timber (NLT): Panels made by nailing or screwing layers of wood together, a cost-effective choice for floors, walls and roofs. This material also can be customized for a variety of textured appearances and unique forms.
  
  
• Structural composite lumber (SCL): Engineered wood made from wood strands or veneers, using a moisture-resistant adhesive. SCL can come in panels as much as 8 feet wide and is designed for use in beams, headers, columns and other structural components.

Why are Mass Timber Buildings Gaining Popularity?

Using mass timber is a tremendous win for builders, architects, designers, consumers and environmentally-responsible cities seeking healthier and more eco-functional building materials to benefit their cities and citizens.

Until recently, mass timber was used only in residential homes and smaller buildings no larger than six stories or 85 feet. This was due in large part to outdated building codes, which were established with more traditional lumber materials in mind.

However, in light of the specific qualities that make mass timber different, such as its fire resistance and sturdiness even against natural disasters, changes to International Building Codes in 2021 deemed it safe to use mass timber in buildings up to 18 stories high.

What Type of Trees Is Mass Timber Made From?

Common species used in mass timber include Douglas fir, pine, and spruce—all of which are known for their strength and renewability. 

One of the biggest misconceptions about modern timber materials is that they are sourced from forests in a way that will deplete timber resources.

Today, the majority of timber products are sourced from sustainably managed forests grown for the purposes of harvesting.

These forests are then replanted, beginning the process of growing timber all over again.

What are the Benefits of Mass Timber?

Mass timber offers specific benefits across three main areas: the environment, the economy, and human well-being.

Environmental Benefits of Mass Timber 

When you compare the impacts of building with sustainably grown trees to traditional building materials, like steel and concrete, the environmental benefits are significant. For instance:

• Renewable resource: Trees used to manufacture mass timber products are grown in sustainably managed forests and replanted after harvest, making mass timber an entirely renewable resource.
  
  
• Minimized waste: Sawmill residues are typically used in mass timber manufacturing, helping reduce waste associated with production.
  
  
• Reduced resource extraction: Unlike concrete and steel, mass timber does not require mined materials or fossil fuels.
  
  
• Biodegradable and repurposable: Mass timber is biodegradable or, in some cases, can be repurposed—like barn wood.
  
  
• Water efficiency: Mass timber production uses far less water than concrete and steel.
  
  
• Carbon storage: Studies have also shown mass timber can help store carbon and other pollutants for the life of the building.²
  
  For example: A 2024 study showed mass timber materials have the potential to store between 9.9 and 16.5 million tons of CO₂ per-year, spanning 50 years, from 2020 to 2070. These carbon benefits equate to 12-20% of the total U.S. harvested wood products carbon storage for 2020.³
  
  
• Long-Term Carbon Impact: Experts and advocates have even suggested mass timber can help the North American construction industry store more carbon than it emits by 2034.⁴

All of these characteristics contribute to making mass timber a low-carbon material compared to concrete and steel.

Economic Benefits of Mass Timber

Research has shown building with mass timber has economic benefits for builders and construction companies, including:

• Faster Construction Time: Mass timber construction can be faster than traditional methods.
  
  For example: According to reports from builders of mass timber structures, such as the Ascent, a 25-story mass timber hybrid building in Milwaukee, mass timber can speed construction time by 20-30%.⁵ Studies have also shown mass timber shortens construction time.⁶
  
  
• Improved Project Efficiency: The use of prefabricated mass timber products requires less on-site assembly, streamlining the construction process and enhancing overall project efficiency.
  
  
• Increased Safety: In addition to improved building time, project safety is improved due to the prefabrication of the materials, which requires less on-site construction in high or precarious places.
  
  
• Reduced Labor Needs: Using mass timber requires half the amount of workers, saving companies and their clients money.
  
  
• Cost-Competitive with Traditional Materials: Mass timber is often cost-competitive with conventional materials, as outlined in a case study by the University of British Columbia.⁷
  
  
• Job Creation in Diverse Communities: The growing, harvesting, processing and manufacturing of mass timber products also creates substantial job opportunities in rural and urban communities for people with various skill sets.

Human Benefits of Mass Timber:

Mass timber has numerous benefits to human health and well-being, including:

• Improved Air Quality: Mass timber is one of the only commercial building materials shown to store carbon while not creating extra heat, unlike concrete or steel buildings.
  
  
• Noise Reduction and Tranquility: Research from the University of British Columbia in 2016 showed mass timber buildings provide excellent sound insulation and absorption properties⁸, promoting a peaceful indoor environment.
  
  
• Excellent Fire Resistance: Mass timber’s natural fire resistance makes it a safer building material for homes and offices. When ignited, the outer layers form a char layer, which protects and insulates the inner layers of the material.
  
  
• Overall Health and Wellness Benefits: Ample research has shown exposure to nature and the natural elements, including natural building materials, supports various aspects of health, including: cognitive function, blood pressure, stress response, immune function, faster recovery and healing, and psychological well-being. ^{9 10 11 12}

Bottom line: research has shown mass timber benefits the planet, its people and its economies.

Examples of Mass Timber Buildings

Mass timber buildings, also known as Tall Wood Buildings, are still dwarfed by their steel and concrete predecessors.

However, several cities worldwide have been early adopters of this type of construction. Some North American examples include:

• Carbon 12 building in Portland, Oregon: This eight-story mass timber building includes residences on the upper floors as well as commercial space on the ground floor. Architects Kaiser + Path worked with local and state officials to waive building codes limiting the height of wood buildings. Learn more about how it was built at kaiserpath.com/carbon12.
  
  
• The Brock Commons at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This 18-story dormitory residential building is the largest mass timber building in the world to date.
  
  
• The Ascent: A 25-story, 285-foot mass timber hybrid building in Milwaukee featuring luxury rentals, the Ascent became the tallest hybrid mass timber building in the world when construction was completed in 2022.
  
  
• The Kendeda Building of Sustainable and Innovative Design at Georgia Tech in Atlanta: The first building in Georgia and 28th in the world to earn Living Building Challenge (LBC) certification, the world’s most ambitious and holistic green building achievement. Used for education, research and outreach, among the building’s accolades are zero carbon construction, net positive energy and net positive water, thanks to a design that incorporates mass timber, a solar canopy and rain capture.
  
  
• The High Line Timber Bridge in New York City: This 260-foot-long bridge is set amidst a lush garden-like landscape in the heart of Manhattan, allowing pedestrians to travel above busy streets.
  
  
• The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library: The design of this 93,000-square-foot library in Medora, North Dakota, was inspired by Roosevelt’s personal reflections on the landscape, his interest in environmental stewardship and periods of quiet introspection and civic engagement in his life.
  
  
• 619 Ponce: Located in Atlanta next to the popular Ponce City Market, this office and retail space is Georgia’s first building constructed using locally-sourced mass timber.

Supporting Atlanta’s 619 Ponce: A Mass Timber Building Success Story

For an insider’s perspective, we talked to Matt Hestad, Vice President of the Georgia Forestry Foundation (Foundation), about their participation in spearheading the mass timber building, 619 Ponce in Atlanta. Matt noted that the Foundation’s focus on mass timber not only served to support Georgia’s working forests by promoting new markets for locally grown sustainable wood products, but it has also built an important thought bridge between people living in urban Atlanta and the rural parts of Georgia, where sustainable forestry happens every day.

“We can’t underestimate the importance of everyday Georgians knowing where the wood products that they depend on every day come from and the trust that is built from knowing that it is sustainably produced and sourced,” he says.

Georgia’s Forestry Leadership in Mass Timber Production

It is commonly presumed that tree-adorned Washington State or Oregon are the country’s largest source of timber. 

However, as Matt told us, Georgia is the #1 forestry state in the nation, with 22 million acres of commercially available private timberland.¹³ Georgia also leads the country in annual timber harvest volume, forest product exports and seedling production for reforestation.

But the Foundation hasn’t been alone in its quest to support mass timber development.  Since 2017, through the work of its parent organization, the Georgia Forestry Association (GFA), several pieces of legislation have been passed by Georgia’s Legislature to advance opportunities for mass timber construction in the state.

These include stopping a ban on the use of lumber in buildings over 3 stories, adopting international building codes that allow construction with mass timber up to 18 stories, and creating a sustainable development carbon registry that allows builders to register and monetize the carbon stored in mass timber buildings.

Anticipating the impact mass timber could have on community sustainability

“As the top forestry state, we have an abundant supply of available timber that can be locally sourced for mass timber construction projects,” Matt says.

“Mass timber can play a significant role in the sustainability of our communities because more than 40 percent of the world’s emissions come from the built environment. When you think about the fact we can replace carbon-emitting materials like steel and concrete with mass timber where, as trees grow in a forest, it’s sequestering carbon and releasing oxygen,” he says. “It’s also holding carbon as 50% of the dry wood, so that’s locked up in the building materials. We have a huge opportunity to start shifting the emissions portfolio of our communities from a really carbon-intensive process to one where we’re storing carbon.”

Benefits for Timberland Owners and Local Economies

GFF also sees mass timber benefiting private timberland owners and local economies: 

“From a markets perspective, we understand that forestry and land management investments follow the demand for forest products,” Matt explains.

“If society values the products that come from working forests, it will value the land as a real estate asset. If the land is valuable, landowners will be incentivized to continue using their own dollars to invest in forest management and reforestation.”

Making timberland investments even more valuable

“Mass timber layers on another value proposition for society, and therefore is an opportunity to further incentivize those forest landowners, which makes their timberland even more valuable,” Matt says.

A New Market for Mass Timber Beyond Single-Family Homes

In addition, GFA sees mass timber as a solution to the lack of demand for new construction single-family homes, which has plagued the forestry market since the housing collapse in 2008.

“The forestry sector has traditionally relied on single-family homes to drive the need for lumber. Since 2008, that market has been lagging,” Matt says. “I think mass timber shows a lot of promise in introducing a new market for forest products in which we have the opportunity to increase demand for mass timber as a primary structural material for multi-family and mixed-use developments.”

Expanding Mass Timber’s Role in Mid-Rise Buildings

Many experts believe that the most significant opportunity lies in mid-rise (Type IV) buildings. These traditionally four- or five-story buildings are ideal uses for mass timber, as they replace the need for concrete and steel and can be built faster and more efficiently.

One such example is the aforementioned 619 Ponce, a showcase mass timber building  developed by Jamestown LP next door to the iconic Ponce City Market in Atlanta. The Georgia Forestry Foundation launched its Seedlings to Solutions Initiative to tell the story of mass timber and the benefits of sourcing it locally. One feature of the project includes the Torus Arch, a mass timber education feature. The video below shows how it was made:

“On this project, Jamestown was told the best, most cost-effective way to obtain the mass timber was to import it from Austria because the market is much more mature in that part of the world.

“Right now, the only mass timber facility in the U.S. South is in Dothan, Alabama. So, unfortunately, it is more expensive, in some cases, to source mass timber locally, but that’s changing,” Matt explains. “We hope that, with people like Jamestown investing in mass timber, it will bring more mass timber manufacturing to the U.S. South, and developers will be able to greater realize the cost savings with faster construction time and less labor.”

The project went forward using mass timber sourced locally from West Georgia on Jamestown-owned land.

Per a U.S. Forestry Service Forest Inventory Analysis, Georgia grows enough wood to supply a mass timber building of the scale of 619 Ponce every 16 minutes.¹⁴

Andres Villegas, Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications at Rayonier, has been on the Georgia Forestry Foundation Board since 2015 and currently serves as the Vice Chairman. He recounts his experience watching the construction of 619 Ponce in comparison to a traditional concrete and steel building happening simultaneously:

“It was surprising to see an entire building go up quickly with only 8-10 workers and a crane on the worksite. Mass timber has clear advantages in terms of the speed, efficiency and beauty compared to traditional construction projects that is measurable from a profit and loss perspective. That is important because the buildings not only have to be appealing to consumers, they also have to be competitive for the developer to build.” 

Far-reaching aesthetic and environmental benefits

“Today, 619 Ponce is a beautiful, warm and inviting space,” Andres says.

“It’s interesting to see, when you take people on tours, they automatically want to hug one of the mass timber beams! You can’t deny the biophilic benefits of being in this natural environment, and developers tend to do a good job making sure there’s plenty of sunlight. It is a key differentiator of the space. It feels different.”

“At the end of the day, that allows investors to realize an appreciation in their rent,” he says. “They can charge a little bit more to folks leasing these spaces because they know that their tenants are looking for a sustainable option that gives them a competitive edge with recruiting great talent and retaining great customers.”

Exploring Carbon Credits with Mass Timber

Matt also mentioned the benefits of mass timber for acquiring and selling carbon credits.

“In 2022, we asked ourselves: ‘What if we supported developers for investing in a building material that reduces carbon emissions rather than emitting them?’ GFA worked with elected officials to pass a bill that expanded Georgia’s existing carbon registry to consider the embodied and embedded carbon in materials—like mass timber. It’s really a first-of-its-kind registry, where developers—if they choose to list their embodied and embedded carbon—can get it third-party verified and listed.

“We’re hoping 619 Ponce will be the first one listed on that registry. Once the carbon is listed, the owners can do whatever they want to with it. For example, they can monetize it and turn it into carbon credits they’d sell to someone trying to offset their emissions.”

Matt acknowledges it’s a long-term play, but projects like 619 Ponce serve as a critical learning environment and a prime example of what’s possible with mass timber sourced within a 600-mile range.

Click here to learn more about GFA’s mass timber projects and initiatives.

Rayonier’s Role in the Mass Timber Revolution

New England Forestry has been an early adopter and thus has a long history of environmental responsibility and stewardship in forestry.

We practice a land stewardship ethic that integrates reforestation, managing, growing, nurturing and harvesting trees as an economic enterprise with the conservation of natural resources and energy, wildlife and fish habitats and aesthetics.

To date, our working forests sequestered 13 million metric tonnes of carbon in 2023, removing approximately seven times more carbon than our efforts emitted. That’s the equivalent of removing over 3 million cars from the road.

Our commitment to environmental stewardship goes hand in hand with our passion for producing raw materials for environmentally friendly building products from our SFI-certified, sustainably managed forests, such as mass timber.

Wood products have always been used to create beautiful, functional and sustainable structures—long before concrete and steel came along.

We see mass timber as the next generation in sustainable wood construction, and we will continue investing in these innovations through forestry programs and sustainability programs, as well as our continued collaboration with organizations who champion working forests and the sustainable wood products that come from them.

Forests have always provided incredible inspiration and resources for humanity, and we see mass timber as an integral part of shaping a brighter and healthier future.

1. Hemmati, Messadi, Gu, Seddelmeyer and Hemmati. (April 2024.) “Comparison of Embodied Carbon Footprint of a Mass Timber Building Structure with a Steel Equivalent.” MDPI.  https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/14/5/1276

2. “Review of the Performance and Benefits of Mass Timber as an Alternative to Concrete and Steel for Improving the Sustainability of Structures”. Sustainability

3. Nepal, P., Prestemon, J. P., Ganguly, I., Kumar, V., Bergman, R. D., & Poudyal, N. C. (2024). “The potential use of mass timber in mid-to high-rise construction and the associated carbon benefits in the United States”. PLOS ONE, 19(3), e0298379. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0298379

4. “2024 Mass Timber International Report”. https://masstimberconference.com/report/

5. “Mass Timber”. American Wood Council.

6. “Review of the Performance and Benefits of Mass Timber as an Alternative to Concrete and Steel for Improving the Sustainability of Structures”. Sustainability.

7. Case Study: An 18-storey tall mass timber hybrid student residence at the University of British ColumbiaStudent residence Brock Commons Vancouver (18 story hybrid building). https://events.forum-holzbau.com/pdf/37_IHF_2016_Fast.pdf

8. Eighteen Storey Hybrid Mass Timber Student Residence at the University of British Columbia. Journal of Structural Engineering International. DOI: 10.2749/101686617X14676303588553

9. Interior wood use in classrooms reduces pupils’ stress levels. Conference: 9th Biennial Conference on Environmental Psychology At: Eindhoven, The Netherlands.

10. Appearance wood products and psychological well-being. January 2007. Wood and Fiber Science.

11. View through a window may influence recovery from surgery. Science. 1984 Apr 27;224(4647):420-1. doi: 10.1126/science.6143402. PMID: 6143402.

12. Zhong, W., Schröder, T., & Bekkering, J. (2022). Biophilic design in architecture and its contributions to health, well-being, and sustainability: A critical review. Frontiers of Architectural Research, 11(1), 114-141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foar.2021.07.006 

13. Georgia Forestry Commission. (2011). Georgia Forest Facts. Web; accessed: March 2020.

14. Based on U.S. Forest Service Forest Inventory Analysis Data: Georgia timberlands took 989.8 seconds to grow the 1,845 cubic meters of wood.

The post A Guide to Mass Timber Construction: The Future of Sustainable Architecture and The Role of Forestry appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

ABERDEEN, Wa.— Plywood is crucial in construction, but have you ever wondered how plywood is made? In this article, we explore how trees are transformed during the plywood-making process at a veneer mill in Aberdeen, Washington and the significance of the forest lifecycle in maintaining a sustainable supply of this essential resource, including:

• What is plywood and what is it used for?
• What type of wood is used to make plywood?
• What are the steps to make plywood?
• What happens to the wood scraps in the plywood-making process?
• What happens to the land after trees are harvested for plywood?
• What is the importance of sustainable forestry in plywood production?

What is plywood and what is it used for?

Plywood is an incredibly important forest product used in the construction of all kinds of homes and buildings.

This versatile material is made by bonding together many layers of thin sheets of wood veneer. Consumers choose plywood over other wood building materials such as solid lumber for several reasons:

1. Value: A sheet of plywood is more affordable than the same amount of solid wood.
2. Strength: Plywood is a very durable wood product thanks to the manufacturing process, which layers wood veneer at varying angles.
3. Uniformity: Because of the way they’re made, plywood panels can be depended on to come in the width, length and thickness expected without major defects.

What type of wood is used to make plywood?

There is softwood plywood, hardwood plywood and plywood made up of a combination of both. Firs, pines, oaks, maples, birches and other woods are all commonly used to make plywood.

At the Pacific Veneer Mill in Aberdeen, Washington, hemlock, Douglas-fir, spruce and sometimes pine are all types of wood used to make veneer sheets.

Troy Kalinoski, who purchases timber for the mill, says he prefers to buy hemlock wood, which is more affordable and helps the mill keep the overall cost of its product low. In this part of the country, hemlock also has less knots than Douglas fir, making a better quality wood.

“We’re probably anywhere from 80 to 85 percent hemlock,” he says. “Because of that, our product is coveted by certain customers in our marketplace.”

The veneer mill purchases wood from landowners like Rayonier; manufactures it into sheets; and then sells those sheets to a plywood mill. The plywood mill then fastens each thin layer of veneer together into the final product, using a powerful laminate material.

Finding the right wood for the veneer mill

“We try to grow the best logs for the mills that we possibly can,” says our Senior Timber Marketing Manager Kevin Pilemalm, who sells New England Forestry timber to Pacific Veneer. “Our silviculture team has worked really hard to get good, straight, clean logs that grow fast. There’s not really a technique to grow every log on the job to a veneer quality. We have to go out on those jobs and find the veneer quality logs that are there.”

Veneer mill logs are more valuable than, for example, lower quality logs New England Forestry would sell to a pulp mill. It’s the timber marketing manager’s job, along with the logging crew, to determine the best use for each log.

“Our guys in the woods are really crucial in picking those logs out and putting those sorts together,” Kevin says. “Then, when they come in here, we have the right product and the mill gets what they need.”

Kevin says fostering good relationships with customers like Pacific Veneer is key to the role of a timber marketing manager:

“We work really hard to maintain the relationships New England Forestry has with our local mills. It’s a long-term relationship to keep this industry running.”

What are the steps to make plywood? A veneer mill tour.

To make plywood, a tree has to be debarked, steamed in a vault and then peeled into a long, thin sheet at the veneer mill. Those sheets are then graded and cut down to size, dried and stacked. Once the stacks are delivered to the plywood mill, the plywood manufacturing process continues. The veneer sheets are covered in a powerful glue called laminate and then stacked with the wood grain facing in perpendicular directions, which ensures the wood will be extremely strong.

The team at Pacific Veneer provided a tour in the video included with this article, showing the step-by-step process to making plywood sheets. Some manufacturers will make veneer and plywood at the same site. Pacific Veneer specializes only in the veneer manufacturing process.

Below we go into more detail about each of the following steps in how plywood is manufactured, including:

• Step 1: Prepare the logs for peeling in a steam vault
• Step 2: Peel the logs into thin sheets of veneer using a lathe
• Step 3: Clipping and assessing the veneer sheets
• Step 4: Drying, grading and banding
• Step 5: Creating the final product at the plywood mill

Step 1: Prepare the logs for peeling in a steam vault

The first step is to prepare the log for peeling. The mill removes the bark, cuts the logs down to 100.25-inch-long blocks, and places them in steamy vaults.

“Once the vault is full, they go up and turn the water on and shut the door. We’re going to cook those blocks at 165 degrees for 16 hours,” says Plant Superintendent Dave Newberry.

The steam helps to break down the wood fibers, ensuring a smooth peel and a better-quality end product.

Step 2: Peel the logs into thin sheets of veneer using a lathe

Once the logs are properly steamed, they’re ready to peel.

A charger digitally assess each log, locating the perfect place to hold the log to produce the most veneer. A pendulum then swings back, picks up the log and places it in the lathe, rapidly spinning it.

The machine can peel anywhere from a 7-inch to a 27-inch diameter log. The resulting sheets will be anywhere between 1/200th and 1/10th of an inch thick. The machine can peel up to 14 logs per-minute.

The peeler operator listens to the sound of the lathe cutting the log to determine whether it is working properly.

Every two-and-a-half hours, at break time, the lathe blade is replaced with a fresh, sharpened blade. The mill employs a full time grinder operator, whose sole job is to re-sharpen blades for the lathe.

Step 3: Clipping and assessing the veneer sheets

Once the logs have been unraveled into long, thin ribbons of wood, they are moved by a conveyor belt into a rotary clipper.

A digital scanner assesses the wood for defects and directs the clipped to cut the wood into 54- and 27-inch sheets.

Smaller pieces with defects like large holes will drop off the conveyor into a pile that will be used either as plywood filler or it will be processed into wood chips.

A moisture meter scans the 54- and 27-inch sheets to guide how the wood veneer is sorted. There will be heart wood, sap wood, and super sap wood.

Each will be stacked in a separate pile because each will require a different amount of time in the dryer.

Step 4: Drying, grading and banding

The veneer needs to dry in order to prevent decay and improve the properties of the finished wood.

While some plywood mills purchase the veneer at this stage and dry it themselves, others want the veneer sheets in a dried condition.

“It’s basically like an oven,” Dave says of the industrial dryer. “Once the sheet comes through, it needs to be 8 percent moisture or less.”

Once they come out of the dryer, each sheet is graded and sorted depending on the size and quality of the wood.

The mill places a band around each stack of veneer wood and prepares it for the plywood manufacturing customer that will transform it into the final product.

Step 5: Creating the final product at the plywood mill

Once a plywood mill purchases the veneer sheets, they will be transformed into the final product found in lumber and hardware stores.

First, the veneer sheets will be glued. The sheets run through a “glue curtain” that coats them with the laminate, then they’re stacked together. The wood grain is rotated between layers, which gives the plywood strength and prevents splitting and shrinkage.

Next, the assembled layers of veneer will be pressed and heated. Using pressure and heat presses the glue into an even, thin layer.

Finally, the plywood panel will go through the finishing process, where it is cut to size, edges are squared and the plywood may be sanded into the final product.

What happens to the wood scraps in the plywood-making process?

Nothing goes to waste in the process of making plywood. For example, bark and wood scraps from the logs are used to fuel the wood-fired furnace that heats the steam vaults and the dryer. The peeler “cores,” which are small cylinders of leftover wood once the logs are peeled, are also put to good use:

“Our customers do various things with the peeler cores, from making pallet stock to possibly landscape timbers, and there’s various other products they might get used for such as fence posts,” Dave says.

What happens to the land after trees are harvested for plywood?

On New England Forestry land, harvesting trees for products like veneer is just one step in the forest lifecycle.

Typically within the next one to two years, crews will replant the forest, placing several trees in the ground for every one tree that was harvested.

The next generation of trees will grow for about 40 years — capturing carbon, providing a home for wildlife, and countless other benefits — before it reaches maturity for the veneer and other products the next generation of people will need.

Why is sustainable forestry important in plywood production?

The sustainability of our world’s forests is paramount in ensuring we continue to enjoy all the benefits of the forest as well as a continuous supply of fiber for products like plywood.

We use 1000s of forest products in our everyday lives, including lumber but also lesser-known items that rely on tree fiber, such as medicines, phone screens, and bath products including toothpaste, shampoo and moisturizers. You can learn more about products made from trees and why trees are the best raw material for so many items in our ongoing #ItStartsWithTrees story series.

Through responsible forest management practices, we can strike a harmonious balance between meeting the demands of industry and preserving the ecological health of our woodlands.

Want to learn more about the process of making plywood?

Watch this long-form video by Engineering World of how the plywood manufacturing process works in “mega factories.”

The post How is Plywood Made? A Veneer Mill Tour appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

It’s always fascinating to learn about the unique ways our contractors use New England Forestry pine trees. Who would have thought trees made their way into cell phone screens? Or medicines?

One company we work with, Derby Gold Pine Shavings, makes and recycles pine shavings in Williston, Florida.

The shavings, made after logging our forests and others in the area, make excellent horse bedding. The soft, absorbent lining is ideal in horse stalls. When it’s time to remove the bedding, Derby Gold collects it and then uses it to fertilize the company’s own land.

Derby Gold’s business model forms a “complete circle,” the result of years of organic development.

Humble origins and heartbreak

Derby Gold is the brainchild of Florida businessman Eddie Hodge. But horse bedding wasn’t part of the original plan when he and his brother, Johnny, got their start working as loggers in the 1970s.

The Hodge brothers founded Williston Timber Company, building it on sweat equity with rented equipment and a small logging crew. Early on, they reinvested all of their profits, adding more workers and a trucking company.

Eventually, they shipped logs throughout the state. And as they expanded the business, other family members came on board.

Eddie says he and Johnny played to each other’s strengths. Eddie was the “business visionary” while his brother was a self-taught mechanical engineer—he even invented specialized forestry equipment.

Tragically, Johnny was killed in an accident in 2003.

“We lost more than a brother,” Eddie says. “We lost a loved one and a best friend. Our loss of Johnny struck to the very heart and soul of our business as well.”

Adapting to life without Johnny wasn’t easy. But Eddie and other family members who worked at Williston Timber carried on with the business in Johnny’s honor. Today, the company is still very much a family affair.

Using pine shavings to adapt to slowdowns in the logging business

Eddie has seen many ups and downs in the economy and the logging industry since he started in the 1970s. During one slowdown, he realized it was time to diversify.

He found the idea for his next business venture in the stalls of nearby horse farms.

“There’s a big horse farm community in our area,” says Phil Parker, marketing manager for Derby Gold. “Eddie saw the need for bulk wood shavings and they’d load them up on a semi and take them around to the local horse farms.”

Now, when there wasn’t a strong market to sell the logs for others to make products, the new pine shavings business could use the logs from Eddie’s logging company and sell them to local horse farms.

Florida horse owners were glad to have a local bulk supplier and the business has grown steadily for 20 years.

Derby Gold expanded the bulk business into the bagged shavings market and is currently one of the largest producers of manufactured shavings in the Southeastern U.S.

Eddie’s resourcefulness in finding ways to get the most out of every tree he harvests helped the business thrive during uncertain times. As it turns out, it was better for the environment, too.

Completing the circle

Next, Eddie realized he could provide his local customers with another benefit. Instead of hauling the used pine shavings 60+ miles to a Class 1 waste facility, Eddie allowed the shavings to be brought back to his land that adjoins the shavings manufacturing facility. It would minimize the carbon footprint associated with disposal and provide another step in the full-circle business: a natural enrichment for the soils.

Eddie and his crew spread the shavings out on his land, allowing them to decompose naturally.  Much of the lands treated were recently surface-mined for sand. The addition of the shavings over time made the soils rich, improving them naturally.

“After six years, it looked like some of the richest soil we’d ever seen,” says Phil. “We did soil samples and found that it was very, very rich.”

Phil says the lands are greatly enhanced and will be more productive for growing timber and sod in the future.

We look forward to the next chapter in the Williston Timber / Derby Gold story and wish the family many more years of healthy and sustainable growth!

You can learn more about Derby Gold by visiting their Facebook page here.

The post Florida company gives multiple lives to logging “leftovers” appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

Love or loathe them: screens have become essential to our lives.

According to the Pew Research Center and Statista, approximately:

• 97% of Americans own a cell phone
• 85% own a SmartPhone
• 50% own a tablet
• 74% own a home computer 
• And 122.4 million own televisions. 

But did you ever stop to think about what goes into your SmartPhone, television, computer or tablet?

If you have researched this topic, you know it’s a bit of a downer. 

The hard truth is, device components often require non-renewable materials and, with so much plastic incorporated, they aren’t exactly biodegradable.

However, there is a potential bright side in the use of trees—specifically tree fiber known as nanocellulose—in screen technologies.

To learn more, we talked to a research material engineer for the USDA’s Forest Service, Ron Sabo, Ph.D., about nanocellulose in tech, how it’s used in screens and other technology, and why it may offer a more sustainable choice for the future of tech.

What Is Nanocellulose?

You may have heard of cellulose, the natural fiber found in wood (and all plants) used in various applications including: 

• As an FDA-approved anti-caking and thickening agent in foods
• A binder, coating, filler, or slow-release agent in medicines 
• And in the production of paper goods

Nanocellulose is a smaller, more refined version of cellulose.

Dr. Sabo explains, “Nanocellulose is a wood fiber that’s made smaller either through chemistry or mechanical grinding. It’s so small you can’t see it. One of the first uses of nano-type cellulose was as an anti-caking agent in cheese, ice cream, and [medicine] tablets.”

So, what does teeny tiny wood pulp fiber have to do with screens and tech? Dr. Sabo explains:

“If you pour it [nanocellulose] into a dish and dry it, it creates a transparent and flexible film. It’s almost like plastic in some ways, but from trees. We’ve studied it for about 20 years and have learned a lot about its properties.”

Dr. Sabo continues, “To put it simply, it’s just another wood fiber that’s smaller. It’s not a magic bullet, but it has some neat properties. Seeing transparent wood, that’s what got me!”

A Little History About Wood In Tech 

Nanocellulose isn’t the first component of wood to be used in technology. In fact, wood has been used in various technological devices for decades.

“Generally, wood has been used in circuit boards for a long time,” Dr. Sabo explains. “If you look at the circuit boards in computers, they are made of pulp or fiberglass and coated with metal, and that’s low-tech; it’s more for structure. So it’s not unheard of for wood to be in your computer.”

Since those early days of mega-circuit boards, researchers have been refining their understanding of how wood pulp can be used to enhance technologies. 

Nanocellulose is the brainchild of those years of study, trial and error.

Top 5 Properties That Make Nanocellulose Viable For Use In Screens And Other Technologies

Three things make nanocellulose viable for use in screens and other technological applications:

#1: Strength 

Per Dr. Sabo, “This is one of the things that really attracted people in the beginning. If you measure the crystalline version of cellulose, you’ll find that it’s stronger than steel and other particles.”

#2: Transparency

As previously mentioned, nanocellulose creates a transparent and flexible film when dried. This makes it a potentially more eco-friendly candidate than plastic for creating clear, flexible screens and other technologies.

#3: Low-thermal expansion

“We’ve learned nanocellulose has a low thermal coefficient of expansion. This means if you heat it up, it doesn’t expand—like plastic,” Dr. Sabo says. “This is what technology companies need, materials that don’t expand. And that’s a property people like.”

#4: Flexibility

Films made of nanocellulose are flexible, which, according to Sabo and other sources,  make them appealing as next-generation flexible devices.

#5: Sustainability

Since nanocellulose products can be sourced from sustainably-managed forests and are biodegradable, they offer a more sustainable material than plastic, polymer-based products.

Additionally, researchers have found more eco-friendly ways of manufacturing cellulose using algae (vs. other chemicals), which doesn’t present the same threat to the environment and waterways.

Different Types Of Nanocellulose Have Unique Applications In Tech

There are several different types of nanocellulose, each with different properties and applications. 

Two examples are nano-crystalline cellulose (CNC) and nanofibrils (CNF). 

Says Dr. Sabo: “The nano-crystalline cellulose has some other properties that the nano-fibrils don’t have. In water, they can act as liquid crystals. Dried films of CNCs can also have color attributes, which gives them the potential to be used in devices. 

“The point I’m trying to make is there are all different types of nanocellulose, so we’re still trying to figure out which materials are best for different applications.”

How Nanocellulose Is Used In Screens Today

In an unexpected interview twist, when asked if he could tell us the types of screens and devices in which nanocellulose is used, Dr. Sabo said he didn’t know.

“The last I heard, a Japanese company was supposedly able to make it work. But I don’t know if it’s on the market or not. Certain countries and companies tend to be quite secretive about these things.”

As a forestry company that interacts with various suppliers, pulp mills, wood product manufacturers, trade associations, and end-users, we know nanocellulose is used in screens. 

However, the companies who build the screens use proprietary techniques to which we’re not privy. What we do know is that all of these qualities in nanocellulose could contribute to its usefulness in screen technology.

To prove it, we did some more digging.

In a research paper entitled “Electrochromic Displays Screen Printed on Transparent Nanocellulose-Based Substrates,” the authors explain how they are using different nanocellulose-based substrates to make electronic device manufacturing more sustainable.

“Manufacturing of electronic devices via printing techniques is often considered to be an environmentally friendly approach, partially due to the efficient utilization of materials. Traditionally, printed electronic components (e.g., sensors, transistors, and displays) are relying on flexible substrates based on plastic materials; this is especially true in electronic display applications where, most of the times, a transparent carrier is required in order to enable presentation of the display content. 

“However, plastic-based substrates are often ruled out in end-user scenarios striving toward sustainability. Paper substrates based on ordinary cellulose fibers can potentially replace plastic substrates, but the opaqueness limits the range of applications where they can be used.”

Dr. Sabo added there are also challenges within nanocellulose technology that must be overcome. Including its affinity for moisture, its brittleness, and the costs associated with manufacturing.

“That’s a challenge we have: how to get the properties you want and keep it sustainable.”

Closing Thoughts On The Future Of Sustainable Forestry Products In Tech

Based on our conversation with Dr. Sabo and the literature referenced here, it is clear that the science and tech communities are invested in creating more sustainable products.

And sustainable forest products are already playing a significant role in next-generation technologies.

When asked about his thoughts on the future of forest products in tech, Dr. Sabo shared this:

“I do expect that in the future, more and more materials will come from sustainable sources, including trees. The research community is making major efforts to find an economic or viable method to produce new materials from wood. 

“Just recently, I read in a paper that they’ve developed a new bioplastic extracted from wood. If we can get cheap, easily processed, biodegradable and renewable plastics, that would do a lot to alleviate some of our greenhouse gas emissions.

“I think we’ll have a lot more bio-based economy in the future. We can make basically anything out of wood. It’s just the cost. As we figure out new ways and tricks to process the tree, stuff will get a lot cheaper, leading to increased use and environmental benefits.

My hope is one day we have this circular economy where everything is used again.”

The post Trees in Screens? How Nanocellulose Is Enhancing Screen Tech Sustainability appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

Did you ever look at a smooth, straight board and wonder how it could come from a tree? What happens to the bark and branches? How can it be so straight, when trees sometimes aren’t?

Today we’re going to see what happens from the moment a tree is harvested to the point its lumber is store-ready. This is the process that makes it possible to build homes, frame concrete, create DIY projects and do countless other tasks with wood.

Step 1: Growing the right trees the right way

For a forest products company, the first step is the most time-consuming part of our business. Growing the right trees takes decades!

Our scientists ensure we plant only the best tree families. They choose the families that grow the straightest and resist disease and insects the most. Both “parents” are accounted for in controlled pollination, a process that allows us to determine which pollen fertilizes the pinecones in our seed orchards. You can see a video of how controlled pollination works here.

Foresters known as Resource Land Managers plant the trees quite close together, which encourages them to grow tall rather than producing a lot of excess branches. That’s important because branches make knots in the wood, weakening it.

We nurture the forest, monitoring its growth and addressing any needs the trees may have for decades. Halfway through their lifecycle, we may “thin” the forest, removing unhealthy trees and trees that are too crooked to make good lumber. This gives the best trees more room to grow. Watch our video of a thinning operation to see how the spacing improves.

In the U.S. South, where we grow Southern yellow pines, trees destined to become lumber grow for about 20 to 25 years. In the Pacific Northwest, where our forests are primarily made up of  Douglas-firs and western hemlocks, our trees may grow 40 years or longer.

Step 2: Harvesting and sorting the logs

When it’s time to harvest the trees, foresters we call Timber Marketers work to find the best buyer. They want to get the best possible value out of the investment we put into the forest. Timber Marketers often work directly with nearby facilities, hiring loggers to prepare and deliver the logs to mills and exporters. They also can sell the standing timber to a dealer, who will then manage the logging and sale of the logs.

Today, we’re showing you what happens when we work directly with a customer. In this case, Timber Marketing Manager Rusty Cobb is selling a stand of loblolly pines in Kingsland, Georgia. He sells logs directly to the West Fraser sawmill in Whitehouse, Florida. The logs have to meet West Fraser’s standards for length, diameter, straightness and quality. Rusty hires Conner & Conner, a small logging company out of Hilliard, Florida, to harvest and prepare the logs.

As the heavy equipment operators begin to harvest the forest, they keep in mind where the logs will be going. In the same forest, there will be some smaller or crooked logs that will be broken down into pulp for the paper mill. Others will become export logs. In this case, West Fraser’s logs will become lumber. It is up to the equipment operators to visually judge about 1000 logs per-day and decide where they will go.

The feller buncher operator, who cuts the trees, tries to group similar products (logs of a relatively uniform size and quality) together during the cutting process. Then the skidder operator drags the logs to a landing area, where the loader operator makes the final decision where each log will go.

The loader operator processes the logs to the correct size and condition the buyer wants. First, they’re cut to the right length. Then, lifting the logs in the loader’s knuckle boom, the operator can pull the logs through a set of fixed knives, which remove large limbs and some of the bark. The logs are then loaded onto a log truck and strapped into place. You can learn more about this stage in the process by watching our video, What Happens During a Timber Harvest.

Step 3: Processing at the Sawmill

When the log truck arrives at the West Fraser mill, it drives onto a scale, where it’s weighed. The load of logs is also inspected by mill employees called scalers, who ensure the logs meet the mill’s standards.

After the logs meet the scalers’ approval, the truck moves to an unloading area, where a special machine that looks like a huge forklift unloads the logs. Once it’s time to process the logs, they’re placed in a debarker machine that removes the rough bark from their exterior. Then they enter the “cut-ups” or “bucking” process, which involves cutting the logs to the right length.

The next step is shaping the round logs into squares, a necessary step before cutting them into lumber. The canter line removes the least possible amount of wood from the logs to reshape them. But nothing goes to waste. The removed bark becomes a mulch product, while sawdust is used in making wood pellets.

The process gets really high tech with the VDA saw. Using highly-sensitive scanning equipment, the saw can cut the logs into board widths that are accurately sized within thousandths of an inch. The saw automatically optimizes each log to cut the most possible high-demand sizes of boards without wasting any wood. It also analyzes the logs for defects to ensure issues like severe knots don’t ruin the resulting cuts of lumber.

The green trim saw follows: this saw trims the boards to the right lengths, again cutting around knots and other defects whenever possible. The majority will be formed into 2×4 or 2×6 boards.

In the sort up bays, the boards are grouped by size. Then they are placed in the stacker, which packages them together so they can dry in the 230-degree kiln. This drying process in West Fraser’s three massive 52-foot-long “ovens” removes moisture, preventing warping in the wood.

The dry boards then get a final polish in the planer, which smooths their tops and bottoms as they whip through at a speed of 1500 feet per minute.

Finally, the boards are packaged and moved to the warehouse, where they’ll await shipment to nearby stores and businesses.

A sustainable process

With as many as a thousand trees being harvested in one day on one logging site, and so many homes and buildings continuously being built around us, it’s only natural to wonder: will we run out of trees? Sustainable forestry is designed to make sure we have a reliable wood supply that won’t run out.

As soon as a mature forest is harvested, our foresters begin making plans for the next forest that will take its place. Typically, within a year of the harvest, the next generation of trees will be planted on that same property. It will be ready just in time for the lumber needs that arise 20 years from now.

We also safeguard the wood supply by ensuring we only harvest a certain amount of trees in each area each year. The result is a mosaic of different ages of trees in our forests. That not only ensures that there will be a reliable wood supply every year, but it also creates a variety of habitats for the wildlife that lives within our forest ecosystem. Younger stands have more vegetation, like berry bushes and flowers. Older stands offer shade and shelter.

With sustainable forestry, trees do it all: they provide clean air and a home for wildlife during their lifetime. When they’re harvested, they meet countless needs as they become products like lumber and cardboard and paper goods. They’re also used to make cellulose, an ingredient in 1000s of products, including medicines, paints, foods, even touchscreens. And all the while, when trees become products, they continue to store carbon for the lifetime of the product they become. It doesn’t get any more sustainable than that!

The post How Trees Become Lumber appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

Is there sawdust in your parmesan cheese? Are there wood chips in your cereal box?

Of course not! But clean, safe fibers derived from trees are in thousands of everyday foods—including vegan, organic and gluten free products.

When trees are broken down to a fine powder at a pulp mill, the cellulose molecule extracted from pulp is the same cellulose found in the plant cell walls of fruits and vegetables. It is one of the most common food additives and has been FDA-approved since the mid-1900s.

When used in food, tree cellulose is refined to become as pure as possible. Our bodies process high purity, food-grade cellulose like any other insoluble fiber: we don’t absorb or digest it, rather it passes through our body.

Here’s a look at some of the most common foods made with the aid of trees:

Hot Dog and Sausage Casings

The casings for hot dogs, sausages and deli meats like salami are often made from trees. While animal intestines are sometimes used for casings, their sizes can vary, which can make mass production difficult. 

Viscose casings are made from a mixture that includes cellulose and sodium hydroxide. The casings are clear, tasteless and uniform, which makes mass production possible.

Why is cellulose the right material for these casings? The same strong cellulose that gives trees their strength is used to make the casings strong. Even when placed over the intense heat of the grill or stovetop, the casings hold their shape and don’t burst or break down. 

Syrups, Spices and Condiments

Cellulose gum is found in breakfast syrups, salad dressings, pie fillings, ketchup, barbecue sauce, tomato sauce and many other everyday foods. As a water-soluble polymer, it binds with water and doesn’t let go. That enables it to thicken products, keep them moist, improve their taste and prolong their shelf life.

Cellulose is also an emulsifier, which enables it to make ingredients spread uniformly across a mixture. It keeps the water and oil from separating in dressings. It prevents a layer of oil from forming on the top of a jar of peanut butter. And it keeps icing mixed in its container long after it’s made. (This same emulsification quality is one of the reasons cellulose is used to make medicines, as we explain in our article, Why Trees are in So Many Medical Products.)

Cellulose is also in spice mixtures and hot cocoa packets, keeping them from clumping.

Low-Fat and Diet Foods

Cellulose helps improve the taste of low-fat foods by adding a creamy texture without the high calories. Think about the difference between the taste of whole and fat-free dairy products: removing the fat takes the creaminess away. Using cellulose, manufacturers are able to make up for some of that lost creamy texture that fat provides in all kinds of products, from low fat yogurts to baked goods.

For that same reason, cellulose is used to make powdered drink and shake mixes thicker, giving them a consistency like a smoothie instead of flavored water.

And, as with all high-fiber products, products with cellulose help create a feeling of fullness that dieters are looking for. High-fiber products like fiber bars and fiber cereal often use cellulose to boost their fiber content. 

Dairy Products and Frozen Foods

Cellulose plays a critical role in the texture and thickness of many popular dairy products. 

Cheese is one of the better-known foods that contains cellulose. Shredded and grated cheeses, such as Parmesan, use a small amount of powdered cellulose to control moisture and keep the cheese from clumping together. It’s used for that same reason in the powdered cheese packets that come in a box of macaroni and cheese. 

Cellulose also serves as a thickener for puddings, sour cream and non-dairy creamer, making it more like real cream. 

When it comes to frozen foods, the addition of cellulose makes the product behave in the freezer the way cellulose behaves: it prevents the formation of ice crystals (think freezer burn) and helps the foods freeze and thaw quickly without getting soggy or stale. It’s used in frozen waffles, frozen pizza, and many other items in the frozen food aisle. 

In ice cream, cellulose aids in creaminess and thickness as well as preventing crystallization. It slows down melting. Cellulose also creates a smooth texture in both ice cream and whipped cream.

Baked Goods and Cake Mixes

When it comes to baked goods, cellulose can lower the overall calories of a product, increase its fiber content and improve the texture, moisture and strength of the product.

Cellulose ether, for example, bonds very well with water. It can also become foamy, just like an egg, which can create a lighter texture in baked goods. That makes it ideal for baked products that need moisture and a more airy texture, including breads and desserts. It’s found in cake mixes to ensure a moist, soft, light cake.

Cellulose gum, also known as carboxymethyl cellulose or CMC, can also thicken bread dough, giving it the texture consumers are looking for. It’s used in frozen doughs to maintain their integrity while they’re frozen, and it’s used to make tortillas pliable. Since CMC is so good at bonding with water, it also keeps baked goods from drying out, extending their shelf life. 

Cellulose’s emulsification ability ensures the right amount of flour, baking powder and other ingredients are proportionately dispersed throughout a batter. This helps them bake evenly. That’s why cellulose is often used in baked products that need to hold their shape, such as biscuits and crackers.

Cellulose in Gluten-Free Baked Goods

Cellulose’s texturizing and strengthening ability also makes it an important ingredient in gluten-free baked goods, including breads and cakes. Since these products are made without flour and wheat ingredients, cellulose is often used to make those foods still have the “mouth feel” we expect when we eat these types of foods.

Fast Foods

Popular fast food chains use cellulose in their burgers, sauces, tortilla chips and more. It serves as a binder, which helps hold foods together. In fried foods like doughnuts, potato chips and fried chicken, it can help prevent oil absorption. And it’s a thickener for dressings and dipping sauces.

At McDonald’s, for example, this article by The Street reports that cellulose is in dozens of menu items, including the McRib, fish fillet patty, some of the chain’s salads, even the sauce used on strawberry sundaes. The same article says Taco Bell uses it in its nacho chips, corn tortillas, enchilada rice and several other items. It’s in Wendys’ Frosty shakes, Sonic’s banana splits, and Kentucky Fried Chicken’s popcorn chicken.

In other words, if you’re eating fast food, there’s a good chance cellulose is on the menu.

Why Not Use Alternative Sources of Cellulose?

While cellulose is found in most plant matter, trees and cotton are the primary source used in food manufacturing because they’re the most economical. Think of it this way: a truckload of dense, heavy logs can produce a lot more cellulose than a lightweight plant like hemp. And trees can grow in almost any climate and soils, which allows them to be in ample supply within a reasonable distance of the mills that process them.

In this NPR article, food scientist John Coupland says it doesn’t matter whether cellulose comes from wood or other plants because “cellulose is just a molecule.”

For organic and vegan food producers, there’s another benefit to using wood pulp: it ensures products will remain non-GMO. “It would be a challenge to keep the supply chain free of genetically modified crop residue” if corn stalks, beets, leaves or other alternatives were used, Sweetener Supply Corporation Technical Director Jon Bodner said in the same NPR article.

It’s tasteless, odorless and invisible, so it’s no wonder many consumers don’t realize cellulose is in a lot of foods. But as you can see by the examples above, it would be difficult to imagine what our food industry would be like without it.

Further Reading:

From McDonald’s to Organic Valley, You’re Probably Eating Wood Pulp by NPR

Learn About Cellulose and How It Is Used In Food by The Spruce Eats

Why Wood Pulp in Your Parmesan Won’t Kill You by Bon Appetit

The post Why Is “Wood” In So Many Foods? appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

Have you ever thought about the trees it took to make the toilet paper, paper products and cardboard you use every day? The average couple goes through an entire tree every year just in toilet paper!

Paper products like toilet paper play an important role in keeping private forest owners—who plant 2.5 billion trees a year—going strong.

For every tree a sustainable forestry company like New England Forestry cuts down, multiple trees are planted in its place within a year. This video shows a recent tree planting season. So the more you use forest products, the stronger the whole ecosystem that supplies the industry will be!

Why do we need trees for toilet paper?

Toilet paper has to be very strong so it won’t fall apart when it’s used. But it also has to be soft to ensure comfort. That’s why a mix of trees are used to make it. 

The long, strong fibers of softwood trees like Southern yellow pines and Douglas-firs are used to make toilet paper strong. The shorter fibers of hardwood trees like oaks and maples give toilet paper its soft texture.

Why not make toilet paper with recycled paper?

Recycled paper loses its strength and softness through the process of being used and recycled. It is not ideal to be used on its own for toilet paper, explains John Considine, a Materials Research Engineer with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Products Laboratory. Instead, “virgin” wood is preferred to give toilet paper the soft, plush qualities we expect. (Virgin wood refers to any freshly-cut tree as opposed to wood materials that have been used and re-used).

“Once a fiber is dried, it’s irreversibly changed,” Considine explains. “The more times it’s dried [to make a product] the shorter the fiber becomes, making it less and less soft and less and less absorbent.”

Why do we need trees for cardboard?

For the same reason, virgin wood has to be used for the strong outside layers of corrugated cardboard packaging. The inside layers can be made from less-sturdy, recycled cardboard. But the rigidity of the outside requires pulp from wood that hasn’t been used before.

Just how important is cardboard? It’s a critical tool used all over the world. Considine says an incredible 90 percent of all the world’s manufactured goods are delivered in corrugated cardboard packaging, a product made from trees. 

Just think about the packaging your food, medicine and toiletries come in. Think of all those Amazon boxes delivered to your door, and the boxed items you buy in the store.

How are paper products made on a mass scale? It starts with trees, which are made into wood chips and then processed into a material called pulp. Then the pulp is transformed into all kinds of products, as shown in this video by the Idaho Forest Products Commission that takes you behind the scenes in a paperboard mill:

And consumers don’t see the packaging needed to safely bring merchandise to the stores. They’re typically packaged in extremely strong cardboard containers to ensure they don’t get damaged enroute. Truckloads of pallets of boxed goods are delivered daily to the stores where we shop. (Incidentally, the pallets used to load and unload goods also come from the forest industry). 

More Paper Products You Use Every Day

Did you know the average American uses more than 450 lbs. of paper products every year? With the rise of the internet and ebook readers, it seems impossible that we could use that much paper. But think about these ways paper products are a part of your day:

• At the office: Printing paper, calendars, planners, sticky notes, brochures, envelopes, stationery and receipts
• In the bathroom: In addition to toilet paper, paper towels and facial tissues
• At school: Notebooks, loose leaf paper, cardboard folders, index cards and books
• For special occasions: Tickets, event posters, photo paper, wrapping paper, tissue paper, cards and gift boxes
• Reading off screen: Books, newspapers and magazines
• In the kitchen: Wax paper, parchment paper, paper plates and cups, food packaging, napkins and paper bags

This video by paper producer Stora Enso shows some of the many ways paper may be a part of your day:

Could most paper products be made with hemp or cotton instead?

While plants like hemp and cotton have an important role in manufacturing, too, trees are a natural resource that cannot be replicated.

“Alternative sources could never do economically what wood does. It is the densest cellulose resource we know of on earth,” Considine says. “All other resources would require a tremendous expense in transportation costs.”

For example, he explains, if a paper mill required 100 tons per-day of wood in order to operate efficiently, that could be reasonably supplied by the forestry industry. “It would be impossible to get that much hemp or cotton or flax. The density just isn’t there,” he says.

Here are a few more reasons trees can’t be replaced by alternative crops:

• Grow in large volumes in many locations: Trees, and particularly conifers, are resilient: they can grow in many different climates and conditions all across the United States and the world. And they can grow 70 feet tall and higher! Nothing else has been found that can grow at the same volume as trees.
• Less environmental impact: Even if an alternative crop could grow as much volume as commercial forests provide, the amount of work it would take would be bad for the environment. Here’s why: a tree is planted and left to grow for 25, 30 or even 40 years with only a few treatments (such as fertilization) throughout its lifetime. Hemp crops, on the other hand, would require equipment to plant, fertilize, and harvest multiple times per-year. And crop rotations would be needed to replenish the soil.
• Habitat for diverse ecosystems: While the trees grow, they provide a habitat for wildlife and plants that couldn’t survive anywhere else. More than 75% of the world’s plants, animals and insects live in forests! 
• Protect water quality: Forests are essential to water quality, with more than half of America’s water supply originating in forests and a third in private working forests. You can learn more about the important role forests play in water quality in our story, Working Forests Protect Water Quality Across the U.S.

Will we run out of trees?

It’s a sensible question: could we run out of trees with such a high demand for paper products? Not if the products’ manufacturers use certified sustainable forestry companies like Rayonier. Our certifications ensure that our trees are spread across a variety of “age classes.” That way we’ll always be ready to meet demands without diminishing supplies. 

We voluntarily undergo a rigorous process to qualify for these third party certifications, which are the highest standard in forestry sustainability. These organizations also ensure that forest owners protect the environment in all of our forests, maintain wildlife habitat by limiting the amount we harvest in any given area, and never harvest more trees than we can continue to grow.

In the U.S., our timberlands are certified by: the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (“SFI”) and in New Zealand, by the Forest Stewardship Council® (“FSC”) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (“PEFC”). 

Check any paper or cardboard product nearby. You’ll likely see the logo of one of these organizations, confirming the wood for the product was sustainably sourced.

A “Wealth” of forests

With careful practices like these in place, it’s no wonder the United States is wealthy with forests. According to the USDA, the nation has 823 million acres of forests and woodlands, which encompasses 1 trillion cubic feet of wood volume! That’s why America is one of the top five nations in the world when it comes to forest cover.

The U.S. has more trees today than it did 100 years ago. Why? In large part, it’s thanks to private forestry companies that replant trees. Many of these companies, including Rayonier, invest in research to grow healthier, stronger trees than ever before. According to the National Alliance of Forest Owners (NAFO), private forest owners in the U.S. grow 43 percent more wood than we cut. And the USDA reports that only 2 percent of our nation’s forest land is harvested per-year.

That means we’re not only thinking about what we’ll need today, but what our children and grandchildren will need from the forest and paper products industry tomorrow.

This is the second installment of our series, #ItStartsWithTrees. To learn more about the thousands of products made from trees, read the first article, Why Trees are In So Many Medical Products. It explains why trees are needed for medicines, hygiene products, eyeglasses frames, and many other surprising everyday items.

The post Why Trees are Irreplaceable in the Paper Products Industry appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

Did you know almost everything you own connects to the forest products industry in one way or another?

While most people recognize that the wood and paper products in their homes are made from trees, the everyday products we use that depend on the forest go way beyond the obvious: touch screens, medicines, bath products, paints, fabrics and even many foods depend on products derived from trees.

“People don’t realize how many everyday products contain some portion of wood or wood fiber,”  says John Considine, a Materials Research Engineer with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Products Laboratory. “Our forests are one of our greatest natural resources. They’re like oil wells above the ground, but they’re renewable.”

Today we’re looking at the science that explains why trees are essential to so many critical supply chains in health, hygiene and medicine:

Why are trees in medicines?

Chances are, if you’ve ever swallowed a pill, there was an element that originated in a forest. 

Manufacturers use cellulose ether, made from wood, to serve several purposes in the making of medicines. It can be used to bind the contents of a pill, to make the hard outside coating of tablets or even to serve as the slow-dissolving shell in slow-release tablets. Cellulose is also used as a thickening agent in liquid medicines. Of course, the processing of this kind of cellulose is done very carefully to keep it clean and pure. That’s why it’s called a “high purity” cellulose.

Why does it work? 

1. Maintains strength even in tiny sizes

The same cellulose that builds strong cell walls in trees can be used to make products strong. A natural polymer, cellulose ether has layers of cellulose chains held together by strong hydrogen bonds. That helps it maintain its strength and stability when mixed with other substances. Because of that, it compresses well, which means it holds together, even under pressure. Think how tiny a pill is, and yet you can squeeze it between your fingers without crushing it or changing its shape.

2. Binds well with medicine, ensuring accurate dose

Cellulose is a great binder, meaning particles of it “grab” medicine particles and ensure they’re equally mixed in their container. This quality ensures the right dose of medicine gets into every pill in the manufacturing process. 

3. Natural ingredient

Cellulose is the same material we find in plants and vegetables: It’s nontoxic and biodegradable, making it safe for humans to ingest. While the actual medicine component of a pill will be absorbed into your body, the cellulose component is a harmless fiber that will pass through your body.

Many other uses for forest products in the medical world

Beyond the use of cellulose in medications, we need forest products for countless items used in the medical world:

Wood in hand sanitizers, soaps and bath products

The same binding ability that makes cellulose useful in medicine is also important in the making of soaps. First, it can bind with the other ingredients in liquid soaps, shampoos and body washes, making them thicker or even gel-like. Cellulose also gives products the ability to bind with water, which is ideal for moisturizing soaps and lotions. It’s a good “slip agent” because of its ability to bind with skin and hair. That helps products like deodorants and creams stay on the skin of the person using them rather than slipping away as soon as they are applied.

Wood in Toothpaste

A form of cellulose known as cellulose gum, or Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC), plays several roles in toothpaste: thanks to its binding abilities, it acts as a thickener, attaching to the other ingredients in toothpaste and making it smooth and creamy. This quality also keeps ingredients from separating and helps extend the toothpaste’s shelf life. CMC also gives toothpaste its strength so it keeps its shape, even on your toothbrush. Incidentally, toothbrushes are often made of a hard, “plastic-like” material that’s made with the help of cellulose, which strengthens the material.

Wood in Swabs and Tongue Depressors

Wood is used in the manufacture of tongue depressors. It’s strong and rigid, so it can stand up to the moist conditions of our mouths. It’s also affordable, hypoallergenic and biodegradable: the ideal conditions for a one-time use medical item. For the same reasons, wood pulp fibers are often used to make the “handle” on cotton swabs.

Wood in Diapers and Feminine Hygiene Products

Wood can be broken down into a strong, absorbent material called “fluff pulp.” Softwoods like slash pines have strong, thick-walled fibers that are tightly compacted together. That makes them more absorbent, which is why they are preferred in fluff pulp manufacturing. This same type of pulp is used to make all kinds of absorbent pads, from those used in hospitals to the pads placed under meats in the grocery store.

Wood in Disposable Masks and Gowns

While many gowns and masks are made from polyester, there are forest products in some personal protective equipment, also known as PPE. This article explains how one producer, Harmac, has a specially-designed “recipe” for western red cedar pulp that is used for gowns, masks, caps and other medical PPE.

Why don’t we run out of trees?

Are you shocked at the number of products that come from wood? Keep in mind we’ve barely scratched the surface. Wood is also in many foods, high performance tires, air filters, and of course countless forms of lumber and paper products. There are several thousand more examples, and the list continues to grow as researchers uncover more uses.

With so many uses for trees, how do we keep up? Forests are a renewable resource. Sustainable forestry companies like New England Forestry plant more trees than we harvest and ensure we have a diverse array of ages of trees across our ownership. That ensures our company will have a “sustainable yield” in perpetuity, which means we could continue to cut the same amount of trees every year and never run out.

To Considine, we shouldn’t be asking how we can use trees less, but rather how we can use them even more.

“Our forests make our country very wealthy and give us a tremendous advantage. Just look at the countries that don’t have trees and see what that does to their economies,” he says. 

“Wood is the densest cellulose resource in the world. All other sources would require a tremendous expense in transport costs. But wood is something we can use economically in so many different ways, and we have a lot of it.”

Further Reading

Want to learn even more about how forest products are used? Here are some other articles:

• “It Comes from Trees” by the North American Forest Foundation
• “Trees… They’re in Everything” by North Carolina State University
• “Cellulose” by the Polymer Science Learning Center

The post Why Trees are in So Many Medical Products appeared first on New England Forestry Stories.

LUFKIN, Texas—Did you ever look at a towering, perfectly-straight utility pole and wonder what tree could have made such a large pole?

Some of them come from New England Forestry land!

The most valuable trees on our land in the U.S. South, “pole” trees can become utility poles for telephone and power lines or piles for docks and piers.

“It Starts with Genetics”

Pine trees in a natural forest typically do not provide a large number of poles, explains Rayonier’s Lufkin-based senior timber marketing manager, Jeremy Flood. But our in-house genetic research team has worked to develop seed families that produce tall, straight trees with smaller branches.

“It starts with genetics,” Jeremy says, “followed by decades of management with proper thinning and fertilization. The result is mature plantations with high quality grade timber.”

Finding the Right Trees for Poles

Even though the trees in a stand of timber are the same age and species, they still mature to a variety of shapes and sizes. A forest manager ensures each tree reaches its highest potential use. Trees worthy of becoming poles are the rarest—and, consequently, the most valuable—because of the very specific requirements that must be met in order to qualify.

Without careful planning and attention to detail, one could overlook these valuable trees, selling them as sawtimber, a significantly less valuable product. Jeremy’s team created a plan to ensure as many trees as possible became poles.

“It Would Be a Waste Not to Capture Their Full Potential”

“These stands have been nurtured and grown for more than 25 years. It would be a waste to not capture their full potential,” says timber marketing manager Shane Bergman, who spearheaded the project.

To locate potential poles before a harvest, a forest technician takes an inventory, statistically measuring the stand of trees to locate those that meet the size specifications needed for poles. Our foresters work closely with a logging contractor, who cuts them down, separates them from the other trees, and places them to the side for the next step.

Strict Specifications for a Log to Become a Pole

Once the poles are laying side-by-side in a giant row, a forester inspects them one-by-one. He measures them to ensure they’re straight, with an even thickness and free of defects like scars and knots that could penetrate the wood. They also have to be the right diameter for the customer’s needs.

“Poles have very tight specifications required by the customer and consumer,” Jeremy explains.  “It’s not all cosmetic, much of the specs are required for engineering purposes, to ensure strength and longevity.”

They reject, or “cull,” logs that don’t meet the rigorous standards and use them for sawtimber. Using a chainsaw, they manually cut those that meet the standards to the exact size specifications of the buyer.

The logger delivers the logs to a pole mill to be processed into the final product.

Shane couldn’t be happier with the way the project worked out.

“It’s exciting to scale poles because of the relationships you build,” he says. “As you work with the contractors you get to learn about them and see that they have the same values as New England Forestry when it comes to being a good steward of the forest. We truly get to work with some great individuals.”

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