A new wood-like material that is recycled from plastic bottles and construction waste, but which can be processed as easily as real wood, was recently unveiled. The water-resistant, rot-free material was developed jointly by Misawa Homes Co. and Ein Engineering Co., which specializes in the development of recycling technology. The two Japanese companies hope the development will help reduce the volume of construction waste, while at the same time cutting down on logging. Apart from being hollow inside, the artificial wood not only looks like natural wood, but can also be sawed and planed. It even has a texture and smell similar to natural wood, as well as a natural-looking surface with a grain.