Forestry Chemical Sector and the Challenge of Waste-Free Production in the USSR, 1950s — 1980s

The article examines the development of the forest chemical sector in the USSR during the 1950s — 1980s. The emphasis is placed on the changes that occurred in the industry, as well as on the issue of waste-free production in the forest industry. It is shown how chemistry became one of the main areas of industrial development in the USSR after the Great Patriotic War, including in the field of wood processing. One of the successful projects was the processing of oleoresin (gum) at some Soviet enterprises. In addition, many industry specialists set the task to maximize the use of waste from sawmilling, timber logging, and wood processing. The article concludes that while the specialists’ ideas were progressive, the sector suffered from technological backwardness and, in some cases, a complete the lack of suitable infrastructure.