A new generation of resins made from sawdust and other agricultural waste streams could be up to 76 per cent stronger than current fossil‑based plastics, a breakthrough that could reshape composite manufacturing across energy, transport and industrial supply chains. The work, led by the University of Oulu in Finland and supported by researchers in Italy and Sweden, marks a rare moment in materials science: a greener alternative that not only matches the performance of fossil‑derived materials but outperforms them.
“The biomass-based polyester resin we developed shows up to 76 per cent higher tensile strength than a commercial fossil-based polyester resin,” said Mikko Salonen, a researcher involved in the study. Working with colleagues at Oulu, Salonen has developed high‑performance epoxy and polyester resins that mimic existing oil‑based materials, using forestry and agricultural byproducts such as sawdust and straw.
The secret recipe is cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin
By unlocking the potential of lignocellulosic biomass — including cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin — waste-related byproducts can be converted into a range of platform chemicals, including hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and furfural, which could challenge the long-running reliance on oil‑derived resins that are extremely difficult to recycle at the end of life.
Crucially, the new materials address one of composite manufacturing’s most persistent problems: end‑of‑life waste. Current composite systems — such as those used in wind turbine blades — are extremely difficult to dismantle and often end up in landfill. To counter this, researchers developed resins that can be chemically broken down and fully repurposed, enabling a closed‑loop manufacturing model aligned with circular‑economy targets.
For Senior Research Fellow Juha Heiskanen, the shift to biomass‑based feedstocks can be achieved without major capital expenditure, with new formulations designed to work within existing chemical industry infrastructure and therefore avoid the cost barriers that often stall sustainable alternatives.
“Bio-based resins will not have a significant price difference compared to fossil resins,” Heiskanen said. “Upgrading bio-based raw materials into high-performance materials and products offers a significant opportunity to expand the bioeconomy.”
The research team has already filed three patents and is now seeking industrial partners to move toward pilot‑scale production — a step they say is essential for commercial rollout.
A future beyond pulp, and into much higher-value uses of forest fibre.
Wood Central understands that the breakthrough also signals a major shift for producers and manufacturers who have traditionally focused on pulp production. By integrating forest‑based residues into high‑value chemical supply chains, the research opens new commercial pathways for countries with abundant biomass.
And for Europe — home to less than 2 per cent of global oil reserves — the development carries strategic weight. Bio‑based resins offer a pathway to greater material self‑sufficiency while supporting climate and circular‑economy objectives, particularly in sectors under pressure to decarbonise without compromising performance.
The findings were published in February 2026 in Circular composite materials: Biomass-based furan epoxies with high-performance and closed-loop recyclability, released last week in Composites Part B: Engineering. The work forms part of the Business Finland‑funded FurBio flagship project, which brings together Finnish, Italian and Swedish research institutions to accelerate the commercialisation of bio‑based composites. Parallel progress on polyester resins is advancing through the Interreg Aurora‑funded SUSBICO project, which has already demonstrated the viability of unsaturated polyester resins derived from bio‑sourced furan monomers.
