Teak balcony furniture - is it sustainable?
There are many prejudices about teak wood, some of which are unfortunately based on misconceptions and 30-40 year old assumptions and production methods. Here's a brief introduction to contemporary teak production and our approach to teak as a sustainable material.
Teak grows naturally in tropical areas of Asia and has been ruthlessly exploited for years. Especially the large teak trees - which contain more of the much sought-after heartwood than the younger ones - were harvested without regard for the environment and wildlife. Because of these practices, teak has rightly earned a reputation for being unsustainable and downright harmful to local habitats in Asia's tropical regions.
Unfortunately, it is still a common misconception that teak is not a sustainable material. However, these prejudices are no longer true, as there are now very strict restrictions on the import of teak into the EU. Each product, such as a balcony chair, must be traceable back to the exact tree that was harvested. All the teak we use in the production of our balcony furniture comes from plantations where teak trees have been actively planted. Furthermore, we only use teak from plantations that comply with FSC guidelines and, as far as possible, teak from FSC-certified plantations.
As the production of teak wood has now been heavily regulated, we still use teak in the production of our balcony furniture. It's not just the production method that makes teak a sustainable material. The hardness and quality of teak makes it a long-lasting material that can withstand all the changes of the Scandinavian weather.
|
FSC - Forest Stewardship Council - is an international non-profit membership organization founded in 1993. The organization's main mission is to promote sustainable forest management and economic viability in the world's forests and to ensure the social rights of forest workers. The FSC label is a guarantee, that ensures you a clear conscience when buying wood and paper. In an FSC forest, no more wood is harvested than the forest can reproduce. At the same time, FSC guarantees that animals and plant life are protected and that the people who work in the forest are guaranteed training, safety equipment and proper wages. FSC is also the only global labeling scheme that has broad support from green organizations such as WWF, Greenpeace and World Forests (formerly known as Nepenthes). FSC-labeled products can be found in all contexts, including: packaging, furniture, paper, newspapers and other printed matter and building materials. |
See our large selection of teak balcony chairs here
See our large selection of teak balcony tables here
See our large selection of teak balcony boxes here