Natural materials are reusable, safely disposable, compostable, safe to use, friendly, sustainable, and renewable. My goal is operating a business that minimizes harm to myself and others, while offering a respectable craft. I wish every business to do the same, but I’ll start with my own.
Wood
Wood is my craft and a great material: natural, sustainable, renewable, and nature loves it. Yes, this was considered when evaluating my livelihood.
Sourcing knotty woodpecker Wood:
- Local trees or local lumber
- Species that are locally grown, abundant, available, and not endangered
- Real wood, meaning no plywood, particle board, bamboo board, nothing soaked in glue
More about Using Real Woods
Finishes
Most finishes are nasty, smelly, and dangerous. Natural finishes are typically oils and waxes, made without chemicals. This also tends to mean the finishes are food safe.
More about A Reliable & Natural Finish
Shipping
It’s hard to sell without shipping these days! So far, I’ve reduced shipping materials to mostly paper, cardboard and bubble wrap materials. All the materials are recyclable and/or paper based, and most of them are re-used. Buying packaging materials sounds as dumb as buying garbage bags: bringing it home just to throw it away.
Reuse
Natural materials can ALWAYS be reused! If you can’t, then nature can. Large wood scraps are used for smaller projects. Small scraps and shavings are used for mulch, fire starters, or smoking food! Shipping materials are reused for packaging. And TOOLS! They can all be sharpened, repaired, and even re-made! Disposable is disgusting.
Improvement
There is room for improvement, and I’m always considering other options. Some yet to discover are natural glue, wax mixtures, paints, finishes and stains (I currently don’t use any stains). I’m not a chemist, but sometimes I start to feel like one.
Why all the effort?
I don’t want to help destroy the world (I don’t need that karma), and I do want to set a good example. It is difficult, because there’s so many wasteful habits to unlearn, followed by good habits to develop. Many people do try to live better. Unfortunately, businesses create so much waste, going unnoticed, and no one is taking responsibility. It’s a good time for change.
