After its invention in the 20th century, plastic was seen as a miracle material. Today, we know about the various health and environmental risks it brings. Korean company Dongnam Realize found a sustainable alternative in CXP, a new kind of thermosoftening wood made from PEFC-certified wood. Thanks to its plastic-like properties, CXP can replace the plastic products we use in our daily lives. We spoke to Seunghoon Lim, Chief Technology Officer at Dongnam Realize, who told us more about the material and its potential to make the future more sustainable.

“Forest certification has the potential to greatly support Myanmar's forest sector and contribute to the ongoing reform process,” said Dr. Nyi Nyi Kyaw, Director General of the Forest Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation of Government of Myanmar at the launch of a new initiative to promote sustainable forest management in Myanmar. The initiative will develop and test tools that support legal, sustainable and transparent forest product trade and is implemented jointly by PEFC International and the Myanmar Forest Certification Committee (MFCC). “The Forest Department recognizes the value of this project towards strengthening the MFCC,” said Dr Kyaw. The primary focus of the project, supported by Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, is to strengthen and operationalize the national forest certification system in Myanmar. Click Read More below for additional detail.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a $1.5 million Diesel Emission Reduction Act grant to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) that ultimately will remove tons of air pollution from diesel-fueled activities at and near the Port of Portland. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy visited Portland to announce the grant at an event at Northwest Container Services with Oregon DEQ Administrator Dick Pedersen. Amongst other projects, the EPA-funded grant will assist local companies in replacing 23 heavy-duty short-haul diesel trucks, traveling more than 1.3 million miles in the Portland metro area each year. West Linn Paper Company will play a significant role in the project as the future owner of at least twelve of the new trucks. The company will take older, less efficient equipment out of use and replace it with new vehicles with improved energy efficiency and more effective filters to remove emissions. The positive impact to the environment will be significant – West Linn Paper anticipates that the project will result in a 20% improvement in fuel economy, and filters capable of removing as much as 90% of the tailpipe emissions.