Walled paper

Do not throw away those old telephone books and fruit juice packs, build your walls with them. Australia's national research centre, CSIRO, is backing a project to turn these "raw" ingredients into flat panels and mouldings that would normally be made of wood. CSIRO claims that the mix of paper and plastic is twice as strong and three times as stiff as conventional polymer boards. This water-proof material is also free from knots and defects that weaken wood, claims CSIRO.