What products are made from trees?

Timber is harvested in order to make tree by products many of us use on a daily basis.

All parts of harvested timber are used, resulting in zero waste.

Click HERE for the PDF version of the infographic.

What Products are Made from Trees?

Solid wood products- Timber is used to make lumber for building and wood boards for numerous other products.

Lumber Process By-Products- When lumber is cut from trees, the by-product is pieces of wood, bark and sawdust. These by-products are made into particle boards, wood pellets, pallets, musical instruments, toys, pencils, sports equipment and decorative items.

Wood Pulp- wood is made up of cellulose fibers and lignin (a glue-like substance). Pulping is a chemical and heat process that separates the cellulose fibers from the lignin which results in many products. Cellulose fibers are used to make paper of all kinds, cardboard, and brown Kraft paper. Fabrics like rayon and cellophane are also produced from cellulose fibers. Hard plastics used to make helmets, combs, eyeglass frames are also made from cellulose fibers. Cellulose fiber variants are used to make toothpaste, shampoo, makeup, medicines and paint.

Other tree parts-bark, sap, fruits, nuts, seeds and leaves can be taken straight from the tree and made into products. Tree fruits and nuts can be harvested directly from the tree and consumed, while others may require processing before consumption; chocolate, cider and some spices. Some medicines like aspirin are extracted from the bark of certain species. Saps, gums and resins make up products like maple syrup, chewing gum, waxes and varnishes. Some examples of industrial products made from trees are rubber, adhesives, solvents, dyes and inks.

LEARN MORE:

• Click HERE to learn about the history of forestry, common terminology, and for another awesome infographic.

ACCESS MORE:

• Check out our fun and engaging forestry timeline student activity!
• Check out our fun and engaging forestry vocabulary student activity!

LEARN MORE:

• Click HERE to learn about the parts of a tree and for another awesome infographic.
• Click HERE to learn about the lifecycle of a tree and for another awesome infographic.

Sources:

• Dnr.state.mn.us/forestry
• Department of Forestry, Virginia
• Ecotree.green
• Eforester.org
• Museum of the White Mountains. Plymouth.edu.
• MrPolsky.com
• National Park Service