Say No to Plastic and Metal; Turn to Wood to Save the Planet

For many years, the timber industry was poorly regulated - ravaging virgin rainforests and destroying habitats and ecosystems which contributed to certain species' extinction. 

Fortunately, things started to change in the early 90s as people began to wise-up. Environmental groups, citizens, and consumers began demanding for better logging practices and oversight. 

Since that time, concepts like selective harvesting emerged from the fray. Deforestation is now more than offset by reforestation.

We're very excited about solid wood furniture here at Mainland Furniture. We believe that: "wood is good" because it's one of the greenest solutions for home furniture. Thus we'll break it down for you with 5 reasons why wood furniture is an eco-friendly choice.

#1 Wood is renewable

Photo by Oliver Paaske on Unsplash

Wood is known to be the most naturally renewable energy sources. In fact, wood can be infinitely replenishable through selective harvesting, as wood is the only building material that's made from the sun, rain, and carbon in our air.

Furthermore, the waste products that come from wood production plants are fully biodegradable by soil bacteria into carbon dioxide. On the other hand, It takes a lot of energy and harmful chemicals to create metal and plastics, and the end-result is non-biodegradable.

#2 Wood is great for the climate

Our trees grow by using the energy from sunlight plus a process known as photosynthesis. It removes carbon dioxide from the air and absorbs water from the ground, which in turn releases oxygen into the air we breathe.

Trees are a natural counter to climate change, as carbon emission is one of the biggest contributing factors towards climate change. From the moment little saplings start to emerge from the ground, they are already having a positive impact on the climate as they grow by eating carbon. 

#3 Wood furniture lasts a long time

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Forest grown timber is exceptionally sturdy and can easily stand the test of time. Construction tech has advanced rapidly throughout the years, yet, solid wood is still used in building houses, bridges and other infrastructures.

If a wooden bridge can withstand heavy loads and the burden of time, imagine how long solid wood furniture will last in your household?
Its durability offers excellent value for money. A piece of well-looked-after furniture can maintain it's valued over the years.

If you take a look on the TradeMe furniture section, there are wooden pieces still being handed down and purchased on the marketplace, even 20, 50, and in some cases 100 years after they were made.

Finally, solid wooden furniture is 100% biodegradable, unlike many synthetic materials used to make many wooden pieces out there. In the end, any waste coming from solid wood furniture will eventually decompose and breaks down back into the earth, making it better for the environment.

#4 It can be recycled and reused

If your table or other wood furniture reaches a point where it can't be used anymore, it can be recycled or used for fire. Reusing wood like this is a great way to displace toxic, non-renewable sources such as metal or plastic that ends up in landfills. The fact that we're able to make use of it right until the end makes it highly eco-friendly.

#5 Zero waste produced with wood

Wood manufacturing is now considered a "zero waste" process, due to the advance in manufacturing technology over the last few decades.

Here's how:

• When wood gets harvested for manufacturing, a percentage of it is processed into lumber.
• Leftover hardwood is used for building furniture.
• Sawdusts can be used at local farms or burned as fuel for energy production.
• Rough wood can be re-used in other building materials.
• Tree barks can be used for landscaping purposes. 

Basically, nothing goes to waste - meaning low carbon footprint overall.

Wrapping up

Congratulations! You now know why wood is considered the greenest choice when it comes to furniture shopping.

We hope this article brought you some value in any way, and if you ever need more advice or chat, don't hesitate to get in touch with us through our contact form below.

Or feel free to post your question on our Facebook community page; we strive to help our customers make the best choice for furniture shopping and furniture care.