UBC and Indigenous partners pilot wood foam from waste to replace plastic foam

In Canada, wood waste from logging and areas affected by wildfires is finding an unexpected fate. A new pilot in the country has begun converting this material into a lightweight, biodegradable wood foam designed to replace products made with plastic foam, according to information released by the University of British Columbia (UBC). While discarded plastic foams can remain in landfills for over 500 years, this foam is designed to decompose in soil within a few months. The project is aimed at protecting products in the packaging industry along with working as insulation panels for the construction industry.

From wood waste to foam blocks

Here, one of the main USP's of the foam is that it has been designed to disappear in soil within months.Image credit: The University of British Columbia

The process begins with softwoods such as spruce, pine and fir, a common conifer species in North America. Then the plant uses heat, mechanical processing and minimal amounts of chemical additives to transform the fibres into a lightweight material. The result resembles the foam used in packaging. UBC states that millions of tons of plastic foam packaging end up in landfills every year. Some of these can persist in those locations for over five centuries. Here, one of the main USP's of the foam is that it has been designed to disappear in soil within months. The technology originated in the lab of Professor Feng Jiang at UBC’s Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management. One of the most interesting aspects of it is that it can utilise residues from forestry activities and wildfire. Now, it faces one of the most challenging stages for any innovation: moving from the lab to large-scale production.

Current production and future expansions

The technology is not just undergoing tests at a university. DicinFoam’s pilot plant is already operating in Vancouver. Currently, the facility can produce between 150 and 200 kilograms of wood foam per day. DicinFoam is a subsidiary predominantly controlled by Yinka Dene Economic Development Limited Partnership, the business arm of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation. “Dicin” means wood in the Wet’suwet’en language. The intellectual property of the technology is jointly owned by UBC and the Indigenous organisation. With pilot production, potential buyers can receive the material, test its performance, and evaluate potential commercial applications. At the same time, the team can validate the production process before building much larger facilities. If the current phase works as expected, the scale will change rapidly. The next phase envisions a larger facility in Burns Lake, within Wet’suwet’en territory. The goal will be to reach 1,000 tons of biodegradable foam per year. The expectation is to create up to 15 jobs in the rural community. After the Burns Lake facility, the team intends to make another leap. The project calls for a factory with a capacity of 15,000 tons per year on Vancouver Island. This represents 15 times the annual capacity planned for the Burns Lake phase. Moreover, the expansion could generate between 35 and 60 additional jobs, according to UBC. The project aims to create an economic chain where Indigenous communities directly participate in the commercialisation and expansion of the innovation. Additionally, indigenous students will have the opportunity to receive training in sustainable material development and business. William Dennis and Shaun Dennis, members of the Huu-ay-aht First Nation, are receiving training at the Vancouver factory. The idea is that this knowledge will assist in future operations closer to their communities. According to UBC, Canada currently relies heavily on imported products in this wood-based materials segment. Consequently, large-scale domestic production could also meet this demand.