Full Breakdown
Wood Foam Pilot Plant Turns Logging Waste into Plastic Alternative
8/21/2026, 12:42:12 PM
Wood Foam Pilot Plant Launches in East Vancouver
On August 20, 2026, researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) unveiled a pilot facility in East Vancouver that produces up to 200 kg of “wood foam” each day. The material is positioned as a biodegradable substitute for polystyrene packaging foam, a pollutant commonly found in Canadian waterways. The venture, DicinFoam, is majority-owned by the Wet’suwet’en First Nation’s business arm.
Production Capacity and Scaling Plans
The pilot plant processes low-value pulp, wood fibres, and forestry residues sourced from logging waste, sawdust, and recycled pulp. CEO Richard Chen notes that roughly 30 % of each harvested tree goes unused. DicinFoam intends to expand to a Burns Lake facility on Wet’suwet’en territory capable of producing up to 1,000 tonnes of wood foam per year, with a later target of a 15,000-tonne plant on Vancouver Island.
Verbatim Quotes
Official Perspectives
Chief technology officer Yale Zhu described the process as extracting maximum value from forestry residues. Chen emphasized the environmental benefit of diverting unused wood into packaging, noting the potential to match the price of conventional plastic foam. William Dennis, a Huu-ay-aht First Nation trainee, expressed personal commitment to the project’s growth.
What’s Next
DicinFoam aims to commercialize wood foam at price parity with plastic alternatives and to train additional Indigenous workers for the upcoming Vancouver Island site.
