A researcher at Stellenbosch University (SU), near Cape Town, in the Western Cape, has developed a new composite material, made from Port Jackson trees (Acacia saligna) and recycled low-density polyethylene plastics, and demonstrated that it can be used to make thermal and insulation boards for low-cost housing. Port Jackson trees are a highly invasive and environmentally-damaging species in South Africa, and among the ten worst invasive alien plant species in the country. Polyethylene is primarily used to make packaging, including plastic bags.
