National Forest Products Week Facts and Trivia along with the many unthinkable products that come from wood

Trees have always been apart of the humane life the uses very from a source of food, to providing shelter and building materials, providing heat, we even use them for recreational purposes.

Trees are a viable, renewable, resource that we use in so many forms of are daily lives. Some of these forms we are completely unaware that some of there components came from a tree.When thinking of the products that come from trees the one that comes to mind first is paper products.

It’s very important to replace this valuable commodity and to use every viable part of the tree we harvest. Many trees can take years to mature, it depends on the type of tree.

The Forest product industry in the US accounts for approximately 5% of the total US manufacturing GDP. The forest in the US support more than 900,000 jobs, generate $ 175 billion in sale’s, $ 50 billion in payroll annually, and is among the top manufacturing sector employer in the 47 states.

The united states has around 755 million acres of forest land. Private forest account for over 427 million acres owned by over 10 million private owners. One third of the US is forested.

United states census show between 2000-2010 households heating with wood grew 34%, this faster than any other heating fuel. The data shows it is low and middle income households that are more likely to have wood as a primary source of heat.

As a tree grows it removes and stores carbon from the atmosphere. Forest management increases the amount of carbon stored by harvesting slower growing trees and replacing them with young trees. Wood products are 50% carbon by weight. A wood product will store carbon it has acquired during their life cycle.

The forest provides us with a renewable sources for the production of wood pulp, wood products, biomass-delivered fuels, paper, power, and chemicals.

The forest is also a provider for important environmental benefits such as wildlife habitat, and watershed management. Because of the responsible stewardship of our forest, the US now has more forest than it did 25 years ago.

Sawdust and other byproducts are collected and used to make fuel that run electric co-generation plants.

The cogeneration plants that are privately owned make electric power to run mills, factories, and to reduce the forest products company dependence on public utilities.

Forest products store enough carbon each year to offset approximately 10 % of the U.S. carbon emissions.

Forest products companies furnish up to 75% of their own energy needs through co-generation. This makes them the most energy efficient of all the manufacturing industries on a national basis.

The forest production companies have major forest certification programs to promote their stewardship and sustainability of forest products.

American Tree Farm System (ATFS )

Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI )

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC )

Program For The Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC)

Forest Management -certifies that the forest are is being appropriately managed according to standard requirements.

Fiber Sourcing chertiest fiber sourcing system, for sourcing, is from sustainable sources.

Chain of Custody (COC) is in charge of the record keeping process to trace raw material from the forest to the finished product.

Wood is made up of five chemical substance cellulose, lignin, hemicellulose, ash-forming minerals, and “extractive” chemicals. Hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin accounts for 97% of all wood.

There are more than 5,000 products made that people use in their life. The cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin are the source of most these wood product chemicals. These tree based chemicals are used to make cosmetics, cellulose, sponges, food additives, many types of plastic wood components, and shampoo, they keep foods from separating, and make your bubble gum chewy. They are even found in food and beverages milk shakes, pancake syrup, cake frosting, salad dressing, ice cream, and it’s also used as thicken agent in foods, low fat diet products, and binders for pills and vitamin tablets.

Cellulose is also a non-edible product that’s an important ingredient in steering wheels, cell phones, eyeglass frames, hairbrushes, and photographic film, cement additive to allow cement to be poured under water, additive for drilling mud for wells, and thickener for paint and glue.

Resin is one of the many tree based chemicals, it‘s the goop that forms around the wound on a tree. Nature uses risen as a protective coating it will form a hard coating that insects, micro organisms can’t penetrate the tree. Pine tree resin is gathered and used in many ways.

The most important resin ROSIN it’s used in soap making, varnishes, and paint. Ball players use rosin to give them a better grip on bats and balls. The bows of stringed instruments get sticky, so they use rosin on the bow making it glide over the strings.

Turpentine is the most widely used oleorisin, it’s a solvent which means it dissolve other substance. It’s used in water proofing, shoe polish, paint and varnish.

Gum- resins are used to make chemical products.

Aspirin is a substance found in willow bark and is now made synthetically.

Flooring, cosmetics, detergents, cement, mirror backs, buttons, can labels, fly paper, yeast, highway surface, tires, camera cases, eye glass frames, puzzles, drapes, tax forms, golf tees, screw driver handle, heels for shoes, ping pong balls, masking tape, linoleum, bath tissue, hair brush, paper towels, paint, varnish, steering wheels, photographic film, cork, diapers, venetian,blinds, cellphones

This is a small list of things that are made with wood chemicals .

How many more can you name ?