South Africa has been fighting against invasive Port Jackson trees for decades, which have been a threat to the local vegetation.
The hardy acacias, originally from Australia, have spread across catchment areas in the Western Cape, the West Coast, the Overberg and parts of the Eastern Cape.
Environmentalists and the government have tried to limit their spread by introducing a fungus and a weevil, but often the only solution is to cut them down.
Also read: Hearing-impaired student graduates with Master’s degree
Dr Abubakar Sadiq Mohammed, a Ghanaian scientist, has come up with a solution to use these trees to make insulation for low-cost housing.
Dr Mohammed, who received his PhD in wood product science from Stellenbosch University last year, has created a wood-plastic composite board using felled Port Jackson trees and recycled plastic bags.
The boards have been optimised for interior wall and ceiling applications as insulation boards. They possess fire- and mould-resistance properties and provide acoustic and thermal insulation.
His target market is South Africa’s low-cost housing, which is usually built without insulation to keep costs low, exposing residents to extremes of heat and cold.
Dr Mohammed has sourced the raw materials for the boards from two companies in the Cape Town area. He got the plastic from a waste recycling plant that turns plastic bags into recycled low-density polyethylene.
The felled trees were provided by an invasive plant-clearing operation. He used all parts of the Port Jackson trees, from their bark to their leaves, and the trees didn’t have to be pre-treated before being made into boards.
Dr Mohammed’s creation not only repurposes plastic bags and invasive plants but also keeps costs down. The 39-year-old scientist says he has long nursed a dream to commercialise the product and hopes to secure funding for the next stage of the project.
Also read:
Stellenbosch University Maties cycle to aid struggling students