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Avoid plastic and enjoy wood

Avoid plastic and enjoy wood

For design enthusiasts concerned about the destruction of forests for furniture, this may come as a surprise: purchasing a table made of wood rather than metal or plastic could significantly reduce carbon emissions, according to a United Nations agency.

Wooden furniture, floors, and doors require less energy to manufacture than aluminum or plastic, and wood also stores carbon for years, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

According to an FAO report, carbon stored in wood products offsets nearly all of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with their production.

"It may seem counter-intuitive (to use wood), because wood derived from illegal logging or irresponsible deforestation will harm ecosystems and habitats," said Rene Castro-Salazar, FAO assistant director-general for forestry.

"However, if you can produce firewood, a dining table, or construction materials from sustainable sources, you're substituting better products for CO2-intensive ones," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"You can do it forever if (wood) is extracted in a sustainable way," he said on Wednesday.

Forests are important in storing carbon emissions in their leaves, branches, and soil. Meanwhile, according to the FAO, deforestation and forest degradation account for up to 12% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Materials like concrete, plastic, and aluminum require a lot of energy from fossil fuels to manufacture. Even recycling plastic is not as eco-friendly as some people believe.

Reasons Why Wood Products are Better Than Plastic


Did you know that buying plastic may be doing more harm than good to your health and the environment?

Consider the following reasons to replace plastic items in your daily life with wood products.

  1. Wood products are super durable: Contrary to popular belief, wood products outlast plastic. Plastic can and does warp, break, melt, and chip over time, whereas wood products tend to retain their value, remain intact, and look classy in perpetuity.
  2. Wood products are far more ecological than plastic: It's pretty obvious when you consider that wood products are far more ecologically responsible than plastic, and for good reason. Wood and wood products have a much lower carbon footprint. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air as they grow and live, leaving behind clean, filtered air with more oxygen for all of us to enjoy. Plastic manufacturing, on the other hand, releases carbon into the atmosphere, along with a slew of other chemical compounds that are harmful to the ozone layer, human health, and wildlife.
  3. Wood products do not contain BPA: BPA, or Bisphenol A, is a synthetic compound used to bind plastics together in the manufacturing process. BPA is found in our environment and manufactured products. Excessive exposure has been linked to fertility issues, male impotence, heart disease, and other conditions in studies. Did you know that, unless specifically stated otherwise, the majority of plastic products contain BPA?
  4. Wood products are unique!: If you're like us, you appreciate uniqueness. That's what you'll find with wood products. Because no two pieces of wood are exactly the same because no two trees are the same, each individual wood item is exactly that - individual and unique.
  5. Your wood product’s beauty will improve with time: Unlike plastic, which warps, chips, wears away, cracks, and even melts, wood products gain character over time. Small nicks, dents, and bangs on your products will only add character and life to them.