WOOD CONSTRUCTION REACHES NEW HEIGHTS
A quiet revolution changing the concrete/glass/steel paradigm of urbanisation has been accelerating in the last 10 years. We are talking about multistorey all-timber buildings rising in major city centres, initially in Scandinavian countries and now in the USA, Canada and elsewhere. The photo above shows the 7-storey Valle office building in Oslo, Norway (2018), while the current record holder is the residential 25-storey Ascent tower in Milwaukee, USA (2022). Meanwhile, the new all-timber head office of Stora Enso in Helsinki, Finland, is nearing completion. Besides delivering structural strength and thermal efficiency, cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glued laminated timber (Glulam) enable architects and interior designers to combine virtually limitless creativity with the unique aesthetic of wood, as illustrated by the Wisdome building in Stockholm, Sweden. With several multistorey timber buildings underway worldwide, green construction is now fully mainstream and crucially, the markets value timber buildings as secure assets for long-term investments.
Photo credit
RECYCLING CONFUSION
Recently, I asked 10 friends across the world about their experience with packaging recycling. The unanimous answer was: ‘I want to recycle, but it is so confusing. If in doubt I prefer to put a pack in the general rubbish bin as I do not want to spoil the recycling bin.’ It confirmed my observation that packaging recycling continues to be difficult. Despite efforts in the value chain, packaging recycling is not an easy task due to the packaging materials complexity. Items creating most confusion include EPS/styrofoam trays and cups, tetrapacks, toothpaste tubes, bread bags, sweet packs, blister packs, film lids, bubble wrap - to list just a few. Complexity is increased by differences in regional waste management rules: EPS trays rejected by most UK local authorities are unreservedly accepted across Poland. A solution to this problem is thus key to achieving packaging circularity.
Look, no plastic!
The #Kleenex box of tissue has recently delighted a perceptive consumer with the replacement of polyethylene inserts with paper ones. This must have been a challenge for the designer team as paper does not naturally allow a smooth tissue release. The creation of a mono-material packaging gives a new lease of life for a well established old time favourite product.
Less is more
Constant effort to remove redundant components in packaging can be seen in this La Roche-Posay folding carton: the typical paper leaflet inserted into the box has been taken out and the information has been printed inside the box. Innovative material reduction in line with the ‘reduce’ principle needs to be applauded.