In our latitudes, all woods that come from European regions are referred to as native woods. The versatility is impressive and there is the right wood with the right properties for almost every application. There are many good reasons why you should use local wood.

Not all wood is sustainable

As we all know, wood is a natural material, but it is not necessarily a sustainable material. What matters is how and, above all, where the wood is obtained. Tropical woods For example, those that have to be shipped thousands of kilometers do not have a positive climate footprint simply because of their transport. In addition, illegal logging in the rainforest areas is a major problem; the areas required for plantation cultivation are cleared through slash-and-burn agriculture. This causes immense CO2 emissions and destroys valuable living space. In order for the wood to arrive in Europe undamaged, it must be dried on site. Because of the high humidity in tropical regions, this is only possible with appropriate technology and enormous energy expenditure. Tropical woods are by no means an environmentally friendly solution.

Sustainable precious wood from Europe

The good thing is so close: in Europe we are surrounded by mixed forests and coniferous forests. And particularly among the deciduous trees you can find robust and long-lasting precious woods such as oak or walnut. The wood from fruit trees - e.g. B. Cherry – ideal. The short transport routes for local wood species keep the impact on the climate to a minimum.

Responsible handling of European forests

The conditions under which the clearing takes place can be easily verified within Europe and are subject to strict regulations. In addition, reforestation is carried out continuously in order to maintain and expand the forest stocks. If you want to buy ecological wood, you should therefore use local wood. The further away the wood used comes from, the more difficult it is to check whether it was logged responsibly. With tropical wood, this is practically impossible to check, despite various seals.

Local woods for outdoor use

Especially when it comes to patio furniture or balcony furniture, many people choose tropical woods. That's not necessary at all. Oak wood, a European hardwood, is also extremely weather-resistant. If you want to prevent the typical gray patina from developing over the years, you can treat oak wood with yacht oil.

How can you recognize local wood?

The hard domestic woods used for furniture construction include oak, walnut, larch, spruce, pine, maple, cherry, beech and ash. Tropical wood can often be recognized by its unusual name: teak, bilinga, maobi, mahogany, wenge, meranti and rosewood are well-known tropical woods. If you choose ecological wood, you ignore tropical wood and buy sustainable wood - and therefore local hardwoods and precious woods!