Wood is a highly versatile material – readily workable yet resistant when adequately protected and cared for. Where responsibly harvested, produced and consumed as part of a local market, wood yields many environmental, social and economic benefits:
- Carbon-lean production process: the carbon footprint of wood-based products is relatively low compared to alternatives such as plastic and metal, provided the wood is used locally and treated with eco-friendly products.
- Carbon sequestration: the carbon dioxide absorbed from the atmosphere during tree growth, and converted into wood, can be locked up for decades when made into furniture or incorporated into a building.
- Clean: the manufacture of local and sustainable wood products doesn’t generate toxic by-products or unusable waste, and doesn’t require mining or drilling.
- Beneficial to woodlands: much of the UK’s woodland is under-managed. The use of wood goods provides an economic incentive to manage existing woodlands and create new ones, improving habitats and biodiversity, reducing soil erosion and flood risk.
- Renewable: unlike mineral and fossil-derived materials, trees can be grown and harvested locally on an indefinite basis – provided timber is sourced from sustainable forestry operations or treework arisings, not deforestation.
- Local economy: a thriving wood-based market stimulates jobs as diverse as woodland management, haulage, treework, crafts and retail.
- Aesthetics and durability: wood products are often beautiful, with unique tactile properties, and can be used for several generations.
Additional benefits of TreeStation products
Forestry residues and arboricultural arisings not used for energy or another application will usually rot, releasing greenhouse gases – some figures suggest over 68% of this material simply goes to waste in the UK. Our unique sourcing strategy converts these arisings into useful products, with a positive impact on climate change.
Because we strive to keep our contribution to climate change as low as possible, we source wood locally and sell it locally – distance really does matter when it comes to transport emissions.
We are critically aware that wood-based products are not always sustainable (for example, destruction of tropical and temperate rainforest). We’re clear that TreeStation’s activities are not destructive; our intention is that the project plays a positive role in creating a greener future, and we’re happy to discuss the genuine sustainability of our project with anyone unsure.
