Editorials

Quality assessment of corrugated board in industrial practice is usually based on individual laboratory tests such as the edge-crush test, bending stiffness, or shear-related measurements. While informative, single-test evaluation cannot capture the combined effects of anisotropy, structural degradation, and material efficiency. This editorial highlights the need for a universal, factory-oriented quality index that integrates results from commonly used tests into a single, interpretable scalar. The proposed concept emphasizes normalization with respect to basis weight, aggregation of directional properties, and sensitivity to shear-related damage mechanisms. A general mathematical framework is outlined, demonstrating how mechanical performance, structural integrity, and economic considerations may be combined to support transparent benchmarking and more informed industrial decision-making.

Methylcellulose (MC), as a simple cellulose derivative has unique merits, involving water solubility and inherent temperature-induced phase transitions, which have potential in sustainable pesticide delivery applications. Despite the discovery of MC’s thermally responsive property in 1935, it attracted attention just a few years ago, owing to increasing demands for sustainable materials. However, the phase transition temperature of MC thermogel is relatively high, and factors on tuning its low critical solution temperature are also not clearly elucidated, which restricts its gelation and Pickering emulsion delivery material developments. This editorial discusses solutions in terms of tunable thermally induced phase transitions of MC, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, carboxyl methylcellulose, and their thermogels and high internal phase Pickering emulsions as potential pesticide- and fertilizer-delivery carrier materials to enrich diverse forestry management practices and contribute to sustainable agricultural ecosystems and unmanned aerial vehicles-based low-altitude economy.

This editorial explores a decorative green packaging approach that integrates Changbaishan plant fibers with the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) paper-cutting craft, focusing on its structural contribution to high-purity recycling. It is shown that replacing chemical laminates and synthetic components in conventional modern packaging with the hollow-out aesthetics of paper-cutting can significantly increase the specific surface area of materials, thus accelerating biodegradation rates. This structural strategy not only ensures the purity of fiber recycling but also elevates the green premium of the Changbaishan brand through the infusion of ICH culture, providing a replicable practical model for the green transformation of local characteristic economies.

In many human societies, trees are an essential component of creative expression. The native people of Borneo, an ethnic group who formerly inhabited a large portion of Borneo, combine technology, art, and traditional knowledge of trees and their forests in their woodcarving art. The carved art depicts the generational sociocultural link between people, their land, and sustainable management techniques meant to protect traditional culture. In the context of the Sarawak Iban in Borneo, this editorial emphasizes the relationship between wood qualities and indigenous carving art with the goal of demonstrating ancestral knowledge of the forest and its species.