Eco-Friendly Wood Polymer - Fusion - WeRIndia

Lantana camara is one of the world’s most invasive weeds. It is quite disruptive for the forest ecosystems across India. In order to fight it, a unique solution has been formed by Bengaluru scientists of Institute of Wood Science & Technology (IWST). This unique solution can solve three problems.

The scientists are using Lantana wood to produce wood polymer composites (WPC). By doing so, the IWST scientists want to weed out this plant. This also helps increase the country’s production of wood composites. The scientists say that this also helps in preventing carbon from escaping into the atmosphere. Weeds are usually burnt which releases carbon into the atmosphere. This is quite hurtful for the environment. With this new innovation, this problem is reduced.

Lantana was brought to India from South America in 1809. It was just an ornamental shrub at that time. However, its invasive nature now made it a problem to many areas across India. It affects many India’s forests, agricultural lands, and pasture lands.

These weeds release chemicals which prevent the growth of other plants. This also effects the soil. Its leaves and flowers are toxic causing decline in number of herbivores and affecting the entire food chain.

This is why the plant got the attention of IWST. So, IWST made a wood polymer composite using nanotechnology. It mixes Lantana wood and plastic. This polymer mixed wood and plastic which is considered extremely hard even impossible.

This mix is currently not as cheap as wood. However, it is expected that the price would be reduced after the market for this new product grows.

This kind of mixes are called green composites. They are made from wood fibers, thermoplastics and biopolymers. They are quite eco-friendly because they are made out of recycle materials and they themselves can be recycled.

Image Reference: TheBetterIndia