Canada’s forest sector is well-placed to support our country's transition to a low-carbon economy. Since the early 1990s, we’ve reduced our GHG emissions by 66%, converting sawdust and other materials that might otherwise be considered “waste” into bioenergy to power our operations. And now we’re looking outward.
Emerging green industries turning wood chips, sawdust, and bark into bioplastics and biofuels will not only create the green, family-supporting jobs the next generation of Canadians need, but are poised to support our net-zero carbon future by reimagining the resources and products we use every day through a greener, cleaner lens. For example:
- Wood fibre-based straws and bioplastics are providing more environmentally-friendly alternatives for Canadian consumers.
- Wood chips, sawdust, and bark are being converted into biofuels that will help reduce our country’s reliance on fossil fuels.
- Wood lignin is being used to create more eco-friendly adhesives and asphalt while wood-fibre is being used to create more eco-friendly water filters, medical masks and paper products
- Tree sugars can be used in a range of bioplastics with medical applications such as bone implants.
When you buy Canadian wood, you’re doing your part to support a low-carbon future by giving a second life to trees; as carbon captured over a tree’s lifetime stays locked inside the wood, sustainably-harvested wood products continue to represent a carbon store long after they leave the forest.
We can. Learn more about how we can build greener, more resilient, more affordable communities when we build tall with wood.