unWOOD: Reinventing waste, one tree saved at a time

June 18, 2025 Innovation Valli Sarvani

In a world drowning in plastic and stripping forests bare, unWOOD dares to imagine a third path, where waste becomes wealth and no tree needs to fall for furniture.

What began as an experimental material unveiled at KPLEX 2024 in Bengaluru has, within a year, become a serious contender to hardwood itself.

The early prototypes of this man-made “wood”, crafted from shredded, hard-to-recycle plastic, were far from perfect.

Rough to the touch and visually underwhelming, it seemed like a noble idea struggling to find form.

But for the team behind unWOOD, imperfections weren’t dead ends; they were design prompts.

The core innovation lies in a process known as the Macro Molecular Fibre Matrix, a proprietary method that surpasses traditional recycling.

Instead of chemically breaking down plastic, the team engineered the physical alignment and interaction of molecules, creating a material that mimics the density, texture, and strength of hardwood.

Dr Babu Padmanabhan, the inventor and materials scientist behind the innovation, shared that while most were focused on chemical conversions, his approach was to understand how molecules interact physically, a perspective that ultimately led to the breakthrough.

His insight reshaped not only the material but the mission, to replace wood, not just recycle plastic.

unWOOD faced steep challenges. Working with low-value, contaminated plastic was a technical hurdle.

Achieving consistent quality and appearance requires fine-tuning processes typically used in high-end polymers.

And gaining consumer acceptance for a plastic wood meant proving its worth not just in labs, but in living rooms and workspaces.

But their breakthrough is more than technical. It’s philosophical.

Vishal Mehta, co-founder and mechanical engineer, emphasises that each piece of furniture made from unWOOD represents a tree saved and a step toward repurposing plastic waste.

unWOOD doesn’t just solve a problem; it redefines one. It challenges us to see waste as design material and sustainability as innovation, not compromise.

And in doing so, it plants a powerful idea: the future of furniture doesn’t grow in forests, it rises from what we’ve already thrown away.

Image Credit: Unwood Website Screenshot