The future of furniture is here: Reclaimed wood, upcycled materials, and bamboo. By using responsibly sourced, upcycled, or recycled materials, furniture can be both fashionable and sustainable.
The Philippines is one of the most untouched sources of materials for luxury furnitures in the world and now the country is making proactive efforts to attract the luxury Middle East market with its sustainably sourced materials.
The entire process of designing, sourcing materials, building, marketing, and selling products should have sustainability at the center. While wood is usually the main material used in furniture-making, it could also come with certain complications.
With the current environmental and social climate, it’s important to know where raw materials are sourced. Here are a few sustainable sources for furniture making in the country.
Here are some of the sustainably sourced materials The Philippines are offering to the luxury Middle East furniture market:
Reclaimed wood
Reclaimed wood is old timber or lumber that was formerly used for another purpose. Reclaimed wood can come from old furniture, alcohol casks, structural supports, demolished homes, or even found washed up on the shore. This type of lumber is more sustainable because it’s already been used in the past, which means no new trees were cut down in the process of harvesting it.
Working with reclaimed wood is unique because each plank already comes with its own character and story. A few things to remember when working with reclaimed wood is that it can be more expensive than using virgin lumber. You’ll also benefit from dealing with reputable dealers or checking for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) seals to ensure that what you’re purchasing is truly reclaimed wood.
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) stamped lumber
The FSC is a certification body that helps protect the forest by examining the chain of custody for lumber and wood-related products. Having an FSC seal on lumber ensures that the wood being sold is harvested legally, ethically, and responsibly.
There are FSC-certified lumber suppliers in the country, which is an ethical option for furniture companies who would like to work with virgin wood.
Bamboo
Bamboo is a heavily used, renewable resource in the country. This perennial plant can grow up to 1 ft. per day, and is a durable alternative to hardwood or virgin wood from trees. A few benefits bamboo has is its durability, flexibility, and adaptability to different types of designs.
While technically classified as a type of grass, bamboo can be made into different types of furniture like beds, tables, chairs, doors, and even huts. A downside to using bamboo is that it scratches easily when improperly finished. Insects and mold are also highly attracted to bamboo, which means it must be taken care of properly in order to last longer.
When it comes to sustainability in furniture, your imagination is the limit. There are possibilities for recycling and sustainability in every point of the journey. All you have to do is apply creativity and resourcefulness.
"I believe that the Philippines is an untouched market when it comes to furniture designs. The country does not mass produce but rather value quality over quantity, and I think the Middle East market is looking for that kind of craftsmanship, with artistic value and exclusivity. This is what we would like to introduce to the market." said Ian Borromeo, co-founder of Yugen PR Dubai, the official Marketing and Communications Agency of CITEM/FAME+ in the Middle East and is based in Dubai, UAE.
