This innovative method of “printing” a tree could be the key to fighting deforestation.

Oscar Almarza

If we look at what are the main environmental issues which may affect the future of mankind, we find that high levels of pollution, rising sea levels or, of course, desertification of the soil are the main variables that make it up. Deforestation, on the other hand, has a slightly different value. It’s like a supporting role, right? This reason should be as important as the others, because it can be avoided.

Moreover, there are other materials that can play the same role as wood products. It is true that paper consumption has been significantly reduced as a result of digitization, but the truth is that this raw material is constantly extracted from forests. In fact, this is happening more and more often, according to the Globe News Report, whose estimates suggest that in 2026 the timber industry will will bring up to 900 billion dollars. Is this way of understanding this scarce and much-needed human good sustainable?

It is critical to find alternative formulas and, of course, this is what a team of researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT is acronym in English). The project basically consisted of creating what is known as synthetic wood, which was created in a lab. This experiment could serve as a basis for creating a new composition that allows indiscriminate cutting of trees in the medium and long term.

Let us see, therefore, what is the composition of this new solution, why is it a differential alternative in terms of sustainable innovation and of course what is expected of this type of synthetic wood in the next few years. Here are the keys to understanding a revolutionary concept aimed at creating a new material to replace most of the traditional options in which wood was a key factor.

3D printer wood object to replace natural product

3D printers over time become the main branch of technology next decade. Its practical application continues to grow, and for this reason we are at a pivotal moment in terms of its research. In the case of the technology developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the researchers say it is possible to produce wood of any shape and size, a key element to consider due to its technical implications.

The original project had as its main base of operations stem cell mimicry in relation to those that can be observed in the plant compound. The model for this was a flowering plant called common zinnia. The researchers treated plant cells with a gel-based composite material enriched with nutrients and hormones, allowing the technology to reproduce itself as if it were a natural process.

Ashley Beckwith, task force coordinator, and his team used 3D printers to create custom structures from gel-grown cells. This process of creating synthetic wood lasted 3 months, getting a very satisfactory result. This was the first step towards understanding the extent to which we are faced with revolutionary technology. Without a doubt, the most striking thing was the ability of this material to grow.

More efficient technology than conventional wood and with less waste

If we look at the wood used for table making and compare it with the tree from which it precedes, it can be concluded that the use of this material is wasteful. Wood is a scarce commodity, yet it is wasted on a large scale due to the many saw cuts. Go to the sawmill and you will understand what we are talking about. Through this process, the product can be shaped directly.

According to the site Interesting Engineering, every year people cut down a total of up to 15 million trees, which already has environmental consequences. Therefore, it is necessary to look for alternative uses for wood alternative products. The use of other, more sustainable options, as well as the practice of large-scale recycling, can make a significant contribution to improving the situation. The findings of this study may be key.

Although experiment is at an early stage, the results were very satisfactory. As such, improvements are expected to be made in the coming months to provide more incentives to produce more synthetic wood in a shorter period of time. In the future, the woodworking industry could come together to create a space in which the laboratory would become the axis of its competitive advantage.