Legal Wood vs. Illegal Logging

Posted by PSMB Staff on

Where does your teak furniture originate?  The world’s fascination with teak wood is a long one.  Boats made with teak have been found to be over 2000 years old.  

Image: Romeo Gacad/AFP/Getty Images

Why did shipbuilders use teak?  Mature teak wood has a high oil content, high tensile strength, and tight grain.  It’s natural weather, rot, and pest resistance is highly regarded.  In Indonesia, it’s very easy to find very old houses made entirely of teak.  Mature Teak trees were once very plentiful and therefore, many people used it for houses, boats, and decorative items.  

When mature teak forests began dwindling, farmers began to experiment with teak plantations.  Teak plantations now exist in Asia(Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, India) as well as Central America.  Indonesia exports the most from the government managed plantations.
Image: @eva_natasa  Image: eva_natasa
Personal Space MB works with designers who have a passion for sustainability in theory and action. Eva Natasa’s Lula collection is made entirely of certified 50+-year-old legal teak wood.  She does not buy from illegal loggers.
           

Teak furniture can vary greatly in price. One of the reasons is illegal logging. Cutting down juvenile teak trees and selling them is an easy way to make some cash.  Fashioning furniture out of this wood is easy and many people are attracted to buying cheap teak furniture. Buyer beware! This is contributing to deforestation and an inferior product.

Image: @eva_natasa

Check out the Lula Collection at www.evanatasa.com

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