Poor, misunderstood eco-friendly rubber

one of the most house-warming things about the new living place that dropped into my lap straight out of heaven, is that it has ensconced in its spacious rooms eco-friendly furniture for the largest part. when i'd first heard of the concept, i imagined it was a gimmick. to talk environment has become fashionable, and what are fashions all about if not to rake in the moolah.as i walked through one eco-friendly furniture shop after another -on st.mark's road, down infantry road side and even to that no-nonsense shop called 'aashnil' on airport road, i began to interrogate owner after owner about the very concept of 'eco-friendly furniture' to decipher whether there was real eco-friendship on their agenda, or was it simply a brand new selling line? the furniture, i was informed, was designed out of rubberwood. rubberwood is the most misunderstood species of wood in the furniture industry, said one dealer. rubberwood or parawood as it is called in thailand, is the name we use for the timber of hevea brasilienis. as a matter of fact, the reason why so many are opting for rubberwood in the manufacture of home furnishings nowadays is because it happens to be one of the more durable lumbers. furthermore, belonging as it does to the maple family, rubberwood has a dense grain character that is easily controlled in the kiln drying process. and of course, the dealer made sure to emphasise the greatest advantage of all -that rubberwood has very little shrinkage, making it one of the more stable construction materials available for furniture manufacturing. be all that as it may be, i argued that it still did not warrant the cutting down of rubber trees. after all a tree is not only valuable for it's commercial clout. a tree helps soil conservation, climate balance and a host of other things, as dictated by ma nature. there was a counter argument for this too. i was told that like maple, rubberwood is a sap producing species. in the case of maple, it is sap; in the case of rubberwood, it is latex. what makes rubberwood the most ecologically friendly lumber used in today's furniture industry, says asha malhotra of aashnil, is the fact that no harm is done to nature by the cutting down of a rubber tree. after the economic life of the rubber tree, which is generally 26-30 years, the latex yields become extremely low and the planters then fell the rubber trees and plant new ones. so, unlike other woods that are cut down for the sole purpose of producing furniture, rubberwood is used only after it completes it's latex producing cycle and dies. this wood is therefore eco-friendly in the sense that we are now using what was going as waste. and in the place where the rubber tree once stood is planting another rubber tree. it's a perennial affair, says ms. malhotra. the other advantages of eco-friendly furniture over regular teak wood furniture includes its colour (light) which is striking, aesthetic and very trendy, for people are fed-up of dark, heavy, depressive furniture. it is also comparable with teak, in that it is harder but as sturdy. tastes vary, and for those who do not like its light and summery shade, let it be known that it is a colour-friendly wood and can be stained to any colour. and what housewives especially would love is that it is termite and bora free. other thoughts on eco-friendly furniture, that should dominate your mind when you are about to make a new purchase: why not go for recycled stuff? more and more shelving and countertops are being made from recycled alternatives to conventional wood or fiberboard products. get acquainted with wheatboard. this alternative is manufactured from straw that is normally discarded when wheat is harvested. instead, the waste is compacted into a sturdy fiberboard that is more economical than standard wood particle board. don't go for tropical woods. select domestic woods (pine, cherry, oak) over tropical varieties like teak and mahogany. how about metal? seek out one of the growing number of manufacturers that incorporate recycled steel or aluminum into their furniture designs. avoid vocs. vocs, or volatile organic compounds, are gases emitted by furniture glues, some of the foams used in making cushions, and some types of carpeting. these gases contribute to indoor air pollution and can cause headaches and other personal discomforts. check with furniture manufacturers before you buy to select items that emit low or no vocs. read the label. some foam cushions are manufactured from polyurethane foam made from hcfcs, chemicals that contribute to global warming and the destruction of the ozone layer. look for less harmful alternatives like foams made with acetone, isoprene and even carbon dioxide. refurbish. before you buy new furniture, consider the possibility of recovering or refinishing your current stock. wood can be restained or repainted, cushions can be recovered. and through it all you get that nice feeling that you have done your little bit towards the saving of the planet.