When thinking about wood as a raw material, things like paper and cardboard come to mind. As it turns out, that only scratches the surface of the potential for the trusted substrate. Thanks to modern techniques, the uses for wood pulp isn’t limited to just paper but used to create alternatives to plastic.

The magic lies in the compound cellulose, an organic material that plants such as trees have in spades. It’s the most plentiful of organic compounds on Earth, and the polysaccharide is the principal component of plant cell walls. It makes up some 33% of vegetable and plant fiber, and that’s why someone might tell you that their asparagus tastes a little wooden. Cotton is the purest form of cellulose, and you can use it to make paper and even food additives, as cellulose powder gets used to thicken, emulsify, and stabilize processed foods. Cellulose is naturally biodegradable, and you can harvest it sustainably with proper tree management.