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The eco-friendly plastic that grows on trees

The latest eco-friendly alternative to plastic comes from an unexpected source: trees.

Inventors of the material, Woodly, say its made from cellulose.

Harvested from trees grown in sustainably-managed forests in Finland.

Jaakko Kaminen is the CEO.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) CEO OF WOODLY, JAAKKO KAMINEN, SAYING:

"Woodly is an entirely new type of plastic. It is carbon neutral, wood based, nevertheless it's transparent and it can be used in various types of applications."

The process transforms wood into pearl-like granules.

That can then be made into a clear, plastic film for use in packaging.

It's designed to be recyclable - though its not biodegradable.

But Woodly say the energy recovered from the products...

yields 70% less fossil-based carbon dioxide than burning traditional plastics.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) CEO OF WOODLY, JAAKKO KAMINEN, SAYING:

"In our opinion there are two problems related to plastic packaging. The number one is a human problem, the misuse of plastics, called littering. And the second problem is related to the material itself and that is about climate change and CO2 emissions. The first problem will be solved by changing the human behavior and the second problem is solved by redesigning plastics and we are solving the second problem."

In the initial stages, the plastic will contain 40 to 60% bio-based content.

And together with packing manufacturer Wipak,

the company aims to have its plastic film products in store by the end of 2019.