One of our new favorite furniture looks is furniture made from recycled wood. I love that a recycled wood piece of furniture has a natural, old, and worn look.
Reclaimed and recycled wood may seem the same, but they are not precisely the same. Recycled wood is wood that would have otherwise been discarded or not used. Wood is a naturally sustainable material as it can be regrown and replaced. There are a variety of furniture shapes and styles that can be used to make recycled pine furniture.
Table of Contents
- What Is The Difference Between Reclaimed and Recycled (Sustainable) Wood?
- Recycled Wood is Very Sustainable
- Related Questions
What Is The Difference Between Reclaimed and Recycled (Sustainable) Wood?
Though the two may be interchangeably used, there is a difference between reclaimed and recycled wood. There is a lot of confusion about what is considered reclaimed and what is recycled.
The definition of reclaimed wood is:
“Reclaimed Wood or Lumber has a past and has been used for buildings and structures from the 18th to the early 20th century. The wood is recycled and reused to meet today’s ever-growing need for sustainable and eco-friendly homes and businesses.
The New and Reclaimed Flooring Company
Reclaimed wood shouldn´t be confused with salvaged wood, which has been cut and stored for several years, but not used for any form of construction.”
Reclaimed wood is wood that was once used in mainly older buildings. Usually, these are buildings that were going to be torn down to make way for new construction. Many of these buildings are old houses, old barns, and older office buildings. The wood is then taken off these buildings and used again for a purpose like a furniture piece or flooring. One of the major ways reclaimed wood is used is with flooring.
Recycled wood is also called sustainable wood and is very similar to reclaimed wood but recycled is usually a newer wood that would have been wasted timber or discarded. The definition of recycled or sustainable wood is:
“Timber recycling or wood recycling is the process of turning waste timber into usable products. Recycling timber is a practice that was popularized in the early 1990s as issues such as deforestation and climate change prompted both timber suppliers and consumers to turn to a more sustainable timber source. Recycling timber is the environmentally friendliest form of timber production and is very common in countries such as Australia and New Zealand where supplies of old wooden structures are plentiful.”
Wikipedia
Recycled timber is also known as sustainable wood. The reason is that this is wood or timber that would otherwise be discarded or not used, so this is what makes recycled wood also sustainable wood.
Sustainability Of Wood
All wood is considered to be sustainable as wood can be regrown and replaced. In speaking of how wood is considered a sustainable material, Swedish Wood has said:
“Wood is a versatile raw material and the only renewable construction material. Wooden structures are usually characterised by a combination of different components that together deliver the best possible load-bearing capacity, thermal, acoustic and moisture insulation, fire resistance and a long service life.”
Swedish Wood
But some woods are more sustainable than other woods. For example, pine, a softwood, is considered a very sustainable wood when cut down to be used as it grows faster than many other hardwoods.
Recycled Wood is Very Sustainable
Since wood itself is sustainable, recycled wood would then be in the category of being very sustainable. The meaning of sustainable in the Cambridge Dictionary is as follows:
“…ausing little or no damage to the environment and therefore able to continue for a long time.”
oxford dictionary
Recycled wood fits into all these categories because:
- No wood is cut down – No wood is cut down as the recycled wood was used for another purpose and is now reused.
- No damage to the environment – In using recycled wood, there is no environmental damage.
- Continued use for a long time – Recycled furniture is a product that can be used for an extended period. Proper care allows furniture pieces to be used for many years, even generations.
Recycled (Sustainable) Pinewood
We produce recycled (sustainable) pinewood. This wood is collected from various sources and then cleaned and prepared so that it is ready to be manufactured into furniture pieces. The wood can be combined with metal or other materials or also be a solid wood piece.
Here are some of the major pieces of recycled pinewood furniture that can be made.
- Coffee and Side Tables – One of the major ways recycled pine is used for various shapes and sizes of coffee and side tables.
- Dressers and Cabinets – Many dressers and cabinets are made out of recycled wood furniture. For some of these, the drawer fronts can even have a pattern on them, which is also made out of recycled pinewood.
- Sideboards and side tables – The recycled pine can be used for sideboards and side tables.
- Bedroom sets – The recycled pine can also be used for bedroom sets.
- Dining Tables and other sets – The recycled pine can be used for dining tables and other dining room furniture.
You can choose recycled pine as it is a beautiful way to not only get a great look for your furniture pieces but also to choose a material that is sustainable in every way.
Recycled and sustainable furniture is a great way to tell the world you care about the environment. You are choosing to have a product in your collection that is not only beautiful but also willing to use wood that would have otherwise been discarded and not used.
If you are interested in seeing how Mondoro can be a valuable partner for your home decor and home furnishing products – we would love to talk to you to see how we can help you.
Find out more about how Mondoro can help you create, develop, and manufacture excellent home decor and home furniture products – don’t hesitate to contact me, Anita. Check out my email by clicking here or become a part of our community and join our newsletter by clicking here.
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Related Questions
What Are Some Common Product Sourcing Errors?
Some of the 5 most common product sourcing or procurement errors we have found include if it looks too good to be true, it probably is, or a supplier trying to reel us in with a catch-and-bait kind of pricing scheme, or not understanding what the vendor can do for us, or the vendors expecting more orders and quantities than we can give them and not properly vetting the vendor and who they are are and are capable of manufacturing.
You can read our blog post called 5 Common Product Sourcing Errors by clicking here
How Do I Find an Overseas Manufacturer to Produce My Product Ideas?
Though it is not easy to find reliable overseas manufacturers, there are some basic steps you can take to find a dependable supplier. This process to locate this responsible manufacturer can include things such as finding a buying agent, attending trade shows, doing some online searches, talking to some trade organizations and getting a referral from someone from the industry.
You can read our blog on How Do I Find an Overseas Manufacturer to Produce my Product Ideas? by clicking here.
