Traditional products include wood, paper and packaging, post poles, and pilings. They are green, sustainable, renewable, biodegradable, recyclable, and essential for everyday life. In the U.S., about 90% of these products come from private working forests, with the remaining from publicly owned working forests.
In addition to these traditional forest products, new innovative products with economic and environmental benefits are being introduced. Examples include:
Mass timber: This term covers several types of products for floor and wall framing, such as cross-laminated timber, nail-laminated timber, glued-laminated timber, and structural composite lumber. These abundant and renewable products allow us to build stronger, safer, and taller wood buildings. They also help architects, builders, and communities reduce their environmental footprints and support job growth, rural economies, and the sustainability of our nation’s forests.
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF): Made from non-petroleum and renewable feedstocks like forest wastes and wood, SAF is an alternative fuel that reduces emissions from air transportation. The first commercial flight powered entirely by SAF crossed the Atlantic Ocean in November 2023.
Biobased plastics: These plastic materials are produced from renewable biomass sources that include wood chips and sawdust. Advances in wood-based plastics are on the horizon, with some commercially viable products potentially available in the near future.