Unlike traffic, Eskom and Bitcoin, I wouldn’t say sustainable timber is a topic of conversation that comes up at every braai.

(Sorry, neither is Bitcoin any longer, because those peeps seem to have gone rather quiet.)

Still, when you reach the age where people are talking about renovations and building and home improvements, you’ll start to notice things.

You don’t have to be in the game to know that chopping down ancient trees for timber decks is probably not the smartest thing to do. You most likely also know that there are alternative sustainable timbers that you could use, that would significantly reduce the impact you have on the environment.

But do you really know why it is non-negotiable that we should all use sustainable timber?

For the ‘why’, here’s the 101:

• Trees play a crucial role supporting life across the globe, producing oxygen and absorbing climate change-causing carbon dioxide.
• Despite their importance, people cut down 15 billion trees each year and the global tree count has fallen by 46% since the beginning of human civilisation.
• The Earth loses 18,7 million acres of forests per year, which is equal to 27 football fields every minute, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
• If current deforestation levels proceed, the world’s rainforests may completely vanish in as little as 100 years, according to National Geographic.
• Without responsible sourcing and manufacturing practices, we will completely destroy our planet.

27 football fields a minute – that should really hit home.

The next box to tick is what exactly ‘sustainable timber’ means:

• It’s all about forest regeneration and responsible harvesting i.e. when one tree is cut down for commercial use, another is planted to replace it.
• It also requires that no ecological damage is done to the surrounding environment.

In order to ensure that you’re choosing sustainable timber, you need to A) make sure that it’s locally grown and B) confirm with the supplier that the timber is sourced from sustainably managed plantations.

So, which local timber ticks all the boxes? Rhino Wood, the environmental, social and economical solution, is on the money.

Here are five reasons why:

• No chemicals, no plastics, and no threat to rainforest ecosystems.
• Its superiority to other solid sustainable timbers originates from its unique and patented, chemical free and environmentally friendly two-phase modification process, that also makes it the perfect sustainable timber alternative to endangered tropical hardwoods.
• Raw pine, sourced from responsibly managed South African pine plantations, is transformed into Rhino Wood using thermal modification and pressure impregnation with a unique wax blend. This dramatically increases the timber’s dimensional stability and, consequently, its resistance to rot, insects, wood borers and decay.

• It’s versatile and durable, and requires minimal maintenance. Left to nature, it gradually develops a hugely attractive silver grey patina without losing any of its inherent and desirable qualities.
• It’s more than a match for challenging environments and fluctuating weather conditions, which impact negatively on most outdoor timber structures such as fences, gates, screens decks and pergolas.

In other words, if we’re not thinking sustainable, we’re not really thinking at all.

To find out more about Rhino Wood’s range, and how they can help you with your next project, check out their website here.