How many products made of wood do you know? You may think of furniture, chairs, fences, picture frames and a few others.
Imagine that many people around the world are using these products. Do you what that means?
The need to cut more trees, to use more wood and to make more such products.
It also translates into more deforestation and a damaged environment.
There are some products which can help protect nature, without making you switch to some new uncomfortable products.
I’m talking about items made of recycled materials. Take a picture frame made of recycled materials for example.
It lets you frame your favorite photographs and it also represents a great way of taking care of the environment.
In order for you to understand the situation better, let me show you a few statistics about the wood industry.
Wood industry statistics: how many trees do we cut?
Satellite imaging estimates we have more than 400 billion trees all over the world. Seems like a big solid number, right?
Unfortunately, it’s not very strong, as we cut down between 3.5 to 7 billion trees every year.
In what concerns the numbers of trees that are replanted every year, the estimates reach 1.7 billion in the US.
This may sound like a good number, considering trees are replanted all over the world. Let me show you an example that proves why this is still a big problem.
Oak is one of the trees used in the production of furniture. Although there are different species of oak, these trees need 20-25 years to reach maturity.
We may replant trees constantly, but they need time to grow back.
Trees are essential for maintaining a healthy air. For every pound of wood grown, trees give off a pound of oxygen. They also take in 1.4 pounds of carbon dioxide.
How deforestation affects the environment
Large deforestation can lead to huge imbalances in the environment. Let’s take a look.
Loss of different species of plants and animals
Forests represent the natural habitat of several species of plants and animals.
Destroying them means we will suffer a great loss of biodiversity.
Just think about it. There are many species that live in the rainforests and that have never been discovered.
Ruining their “home” means we will lose them.
Contributes to climate change
As we’ve mentioned earlier, trees take carbon dioxide. Forests represent great carbon sinks.
When we cut trees, this carbon dioxide is released back into the air.
This is a great source of global greenhouse gas emissions.
The benefits of using a picture frame made of recycled materials
Picture frames are a product which is usually made of wood. You can find models made of plastic or even fiber.
If I were to compare the frames made of wood and those made of recycled materials, I would find many benefits for the recycled ones. Here are a few.
They reuse old materials
Instead of cutting down trees to make products, these picture frames use old materials to make new products.
These materials would normally end up in dump yards or in the environment. This way, they are given a new purpose.
They take care of the environment
With so many trees being cut, it’s great to have some products which do not require this action.
A picture frame made of recycled materials takes care of forests and protects the wildlife.
Look beautiful just like conventional wood frames
If you are wondering whether picture frames made of recycled materials look as good conventional wood ones, let me tell you they do.
They look beautiful and can go really good with any home interior design.
Alternative to wood frames: bamboo picture frames
If you want to be even more eco-friendly and find an alternative to wood frames, you can go for bamboo picture frames.
They are made of one of the most eco-friendly materials, as bamboo is a type of grass which grows fast and easy.
Some of these products are biodegradable or compostable.