If not wood, what? by Heather Fergus
If not wood, then what?
5 min read
If Not Wood, What? by Heather Fergus
Wood is an incredibly versatile and ubiquitous material that we see throughout our daily lives, from furniture to paper and building materials. Each year the United States uses more than 100 million tons of wood, according to the USDA.
However, this demand means that trees are being cut down at increasing rates, resulting in deforestation and habitat loss, and leaving us more vulnerable to climate change. In 2023 alone, the US lost 1.09 million hectares of natural forest, according to the Global Forest Watch. That’s equivalent to about 2.7 million football fields.
Forests naturally store carbon, and logging trees releases that carbon into our atmosphere. For example, between 2000 and 2023 the United States has seen a 17% decrease in its tree cover, which means that 18.6 Gt (or billion metric tons) of CO2 was released over this time, according to the Global Forest Watch.
In order to protect our forest ecosystems, we will need to drastically reduce our use of wood as a raw material. Luckily, there are many great alternatives to choose from!
Hemp
The first option is hemp, which is gaining interest due to its versatility and sustainability. Hemp can be used as an alternative for many timber products, including paper, flooring, building materials, textiles, and more. It is fast-growing and can be harvested after just 4 months, while also producing 2 times more fiber than forests, according to a recent study. Hemp is also carbon-sequestering, requires little water, and does not need pesticides or herbicides. This makes it a sustainable alternative to timber, and available to grow in a wide geographical range. And with the devastating wildfires in the United States, hemp is a great choice as it is more fire resistant than wood.
Hemp as a raw material is already being commercially used in the US. For example, companies such as Hempwood are selling hemp lumber for use in flooring, paneling, furniture, and interior building materials. Hempitecture is also US-based, and has developed non-toxic insulation materials from hemp. Their products have demonstrated the sustainable potential of hemp, as over their 1,562 projects they have managed to sequester 1,208,256 pounds of CO2. Hemp is a promising eco-friendly option that could replace a large range of timber products.
Courtesy of Mateo Paganelli
Cork
Cork is another versatile option, most commonly seen in wine corks, but also found in many commercial products and building materials. It has even seen a rising popularity in sustainable architecture. Harvested from the cork oak tree, the bark is stripped from the tree, which then regenerates over 9 years, according to a 2016 study. This doesn’t damage the tree, and in fact, harvested cork oaks tend to absorb more CO2 in order to regrow their bark, making them incredible carbon stores, according to Carbon Negative.
According to the Rainforest Alliance, cork oaks typically grow throughout southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa, with some of the largest forests found in Portugal. These form important ecosystems, with diverse wildlife and tree species, including those that are endangered. With lifespans of 200 years, cork oaks can be harvested up to 16 times, making cork a renewable and biodegradable raw material.
Cork Oak in the forests of France
Bamboo
One of the oldest building materials and more widely known alternative to wood is bamboo. Bamboo grows throughout Asia, Africa and America, and can be seen in products ranging from flooring to homeware. While bamboo is considered a grass, it is also strong enough to be used in construction. Like hemp, it is fast-growing, reaching full height in 4–6 months and maturity in 3–6 years, according to a 2013 study. Since bamboo is a renewable, carbon sequestering, and low-intensive crop, it makes a great sustainable alternative to wood.
However, there are concerns over how bamboo is harvested, according to the World Wildlife Fund. The demand for bamboo encourages farmers to plant it in monocultures consisting of one species, meaning that natural forests have been cut down to create space for these plantations. This is why it is important to know where bamboo is sourced and consider the environmental cost to transporting bamboo, as a majority of plantations are located in China and India. Bamboo is a sustainable material but must be used in a conscious way and not solely relied on as an alternative.
Courtesy of Simon Joseph
Reclaimed Wood
Instead of using new timber, there is also the option of using reclaimed wood. Reclaimed wood is wood that has previously been used in structures such as old barns, buildings, ships, and even wine barrels. It brings new life to wood that may have otherwise been thrown away, and reduces the demand for cutting down new trees. According to Whole Log Reclaimed, a company that specializes in sourcing old timber, reclaimed wood is usually made from old growth trees, which are typically stronger and more weather resistant. While not an alternative material to wood, reclaimed wood is a sustainable option that does not contribute to further deforestation.
Courtesy of Alexander Shustov
This article has described potential alternatives to new timber and wood. From fast growing plants like hemp and bamboo to renewable cork materials, this is certainly not an exhaustive list but details some of the most versatile and sustainable options. Other materials can be used for specific wood products too, such as recycling paper for magazines or using crushed nuts to make furniture.
There are so many creative ways to reduce our use of timber, including using resources that are locally available to us. For example, hemp is a readily available crop in the United States that does not need to be imported and cork oak is a native plant to southern Europe and North Africa. By consciously choosing our raw materials, we can drastically reduce our carbon emissions, increase global ecological resilience to climate change, and protect our forest ecosystems for future generations.
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