With the ongoing climate concerns that impact each and every one of us in our lives today, we believe it’s essential that each of us do our bit. Whether it’s electric cars, vegan diets or cutting out plastic straws… the past few years have seen many of us turn into eco-friendly fanatics. Making the transition to become an everyday eco-warrior could be easier than you think though. There’s one handy material in particular that could make all the difference… timber.
The earth-based product is commonly admired in the construction industry for its pleasing aesthetics, unique versatility and quick build time, but did you know that it’s arguably the only 100% sustainable construction material? When compared to harmful alternatives such as steel and concrete, it’s hard not to favour timber for its many beneficial qualities.
Here’s just some of the reasons why natures oldest and most versatile building material proves to also be the most sustainable:
Sensible sourcing: Companies that source their timber responsibly take care to harvest it from professionally managed forests- which often means trees are replanted as soon as they’re cut down. This is a great way to look out for future generations, with the promise of a continued habitat for wildlife as well as continued future timber uses. Timber is additionally often milled close to where it’s produced, meaning less transport, and less emissions in turn.
A use for carbon: Through the process of photosynthesis, carbon is absorbed by trees. Though you might think that cutting down trees causes an increase of carbon in the atmosphere (less trees to absorb it) this isn’t particularly true in the long run when it comes to sustainable sourcing. When timber is sustainably sourced, it means that the consistent replacement of trees is still removing carbon from the atmosphere. Well-managed forests therefore practically become a more effective carbon storage point than a natural forest would be.
Naturally renewable: When it comes to beneficial factors, timber’s renewable nature is an obvious one. An ordinary tree can take 25 to 80 years until it’s grown and ready to use, and the continuous planting cycle can continue on through time, whereas damaging, finite materials such as brick or plastic creates a much more harmful lasting impact on the atmosphere.
At TimberStruc, we’re committed to ensuring that our entire production process aligns with our environmental beliefs. In order to reduce our carbon footprint and prevent waste, we use only the most efficient practice techniques, whilst regularly reviewing our office policies. Our products are certified under the PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest certification) chain of custody certification system, and we take care to source our timber from well managed forests which are governed by strict environmental programmes.
We recognise that every small step we take impacts not just the current world of construction, but the future one too. We like to think that it won’t be just our structures that last in years to come, but our environmental ethics as well.