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NEWS OF
THE MONTH: EU Looking to Pass Stricter Regulations on
Hardwood Product Imports
It
should be no surprise that lots of furniture,
especially garden furniture, is made of hardwood.
However, what many consumers don't know is that much
of this hardwood is of the tropical variety that has
been harvested by practices that are anything but
sustainable. The truth of the matter is that some of
the hardwood used in outdoor furniture comes from
rainforests in the Amazon and Southeast Asia that
are not only being over-harvested, are being done so
by means of slash 'n burn techniques that contribute
to global warming. In fact, deforestation accounts
for one-fifth of all greenhouse gas emissions, and
is one of the foremost causes of global warming. The
good news is that, amidst a growing "go green"
consciousness, more suppliers and retailers are
beginning to label sustainable hardwood outdoor
furniture as such. Even though it can be much more
expensive than furniture made from illegally
harvested rainforest hardwood, paying the higher
financial price is not worth the price on our global
environment. Besides, the EU may just be doing
something about that in the near future. Stay tuned
and buy your hardwood furniture consciously. |
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