By Allison DeFord
Executive Director
North American Forest Foundation
Collierville, TN
901-860-4131
adeford@northamericanforestfoundation.org
Isn’t it ironic how a random conversation can turn into a 30,000-foot opportunity? To open someone’s eyes and understanding about why choosing wood is so exTREEmely smart.
Conversations that have a connection to the benefits of wood can start anywhere. Even during a meal on an airline flight when wooden flatware is provided along with the meal.
The conversation might start this way. “How can wood cutlery be a good idea? Does it really benefit the environment to use trees to produce disposable flatware?”
Let’s turn that question on its head: how can it be a good idea to continually use non-renewable fossil fuels to make plastic disposable flatware? Especially when their production adds to the carbon released into the atmosphere and the finished product is neither biodegradable nor generally recyclable.
Signs of a Knowledge Gap
A simple conversation can be an indicator of a gap in understanding. People are creatures of habit and are shaped by the information they absorb. Often, they haven’t taken the opportunity to think about production practices and long-term effects in the overall context of what’s truly best for the environment.
The Larger Conversation: We “get it” But Others Don’t
When we see wood in use in the world around us, we think of its sustainability and contribution to addressing the needs for carbon capture. And when we see plastics in daily use, we immediately recognize the burden placed on the planet for producing those items. We do this because we understand–after all, this is our industry.
But how many others need more complete information to grasp the facts that can help them make better decisions?
Use these everyday interactions as the jumping off point for conversations that bring new perspectives to others and help educate them on the benefits of wood and the contributions of the wood products industry. Take the openings given to start meaningful discussions and help others to learn.
Wood’s Benefits are Hiding in Plain Sight
Let’s look back at the airline flatware. Wood used in manufacturing the utensil in your hand is a renewable resource and in its present state, it stores carbon. The main inputs for production of either wood or plastic flatware are water and energy.
Trees need water to grow. Yet, unlike plastics production, nature makes an almost perfect loop, in that nearly all the water used in growing trees cycles back to the atmosphere in the form of transpiration. And the energy needed to plant, harvest and process wood is far lower than that needed to process plastic.
At the end of its useful life, wood flatware can be composted at home or commercially, whereas plastics are not compostable and generally not recyclable. As plastics partially break down, micro plastics can be the result.
Wood products help to transmit power and transport goods to support everyday life.
- Utility Poles
Where would modern life be without electricity? Utility poles line the streets in cities and towns. Wood poles not only serve the telephone and electrical industries, but their production is less of a burden on the environment than that of steel or cement poles. Wood offers long life and stores carbon all while delivering dependable performance for the utility industries.
Resilient and durable, wood withstands winds and impact. In comparison to concrete or steel, wood’s cradle to grave energy input is lower, based on a comparable service life. - Rail Ties
While trucking is responsible for a substantial portion of freight movement across the county, many products and industries are highly dependent on rail for transport. According to Statista, rail freight transport in the United States was 2.18 trillion ton-kilometers in 2023.
The Railway Tie Association reports that 90 to 93 percent of the rail ties in use to support the North American railway system are wood. Once again, flexibility, durability and sustainability converge to make wood the material of choice for this application. - Flooring and Furnishings
Consumers and professionals have a choice. When wood–rather than laminate–is used for flooring, decking, paneling or furniture, we’re looking at applications in which carbon is stored, and the emphasis is on sustainability.
The Larger Conversation
To those of us in the forest products industry, when we see wood in use in the world around us, we immediately recognize attributes that contribute to sustainability and carbon capture. We also recognize the burden to the planet when we see plastics being used in applications in which wood could be used.
What’s natural to us, many others have yet to grasp because they haven’t been given the facts or have absorbed inaccurate information. That’s why people ask questions, and why it’s important to answer them well.
To make better decisions, they need education. And everyday interactions can be the starting point for providing the perspectives they need in order to make better decisions. This is your golden opportunity–to use these openings to begin meaningful discussions that can spark interest in the wood products industry while educating others on the benefits of wood.
Tomorrows Consumers and Your Future Workforce
The North American Forest Foundation is on a mission to help share the truth about trees to a wider audience, deepen understanding, and encourage more people to seek careers in the wood products industry.
Our heart lies with teaching future generations by providing Truth About Trees kits to elementary classroom teachers, at no charge, and serving up resources on our website. We’re taking the next step and developing a gamified app for junior high students to add another layer of understanding and help connect kids with careers in forest-related work.
If you share our passion, there are several ways you can help us reach more young people. Donations, sponsorship components that make up the educational kits, or sponsorship and involvement with the junior high app are just a few of the opportunities to participate.
Contact Allison DeFord at adeford@northamericanforestfoundation.org to find out more about how you can help us build a healthier planet and maintain a strong industry. And don’t miss any chances to share your wood products industry story with those who need to hear it.
