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Is olive wood sustainable?

Olive wood originates from the trunk and branches of very old olive trees that no longer produce fruit. The clipped branches of fruit trees can also be used to produce little pieces of wood. Thus, using olive wood to make household things is sustainable use of what would otherwise be wasted in an olive orchard. Nevertheless, we had to inquire about the sustainability of purchasing items made of olive wood.

Olive trees that live a long time store carbon, making olive wood sustainable. Olive wood is also more resilient than most other types of wood, extending carbon storage. Olive wood is produced more sustainably as a byproduct, an added advantage of using land for olive orchards.

Olive trees naturally flourish in several parts of Africa, Asia, and the Mediterranean. These tree species do well in calcareous soil, although they also thrive in light soil, including well-drained clay. The ideal growing environments for olive trees are limestone slopes and coastal climates.

This article will walk you through olive wood's life cycle concerning kitchenware and other small decorative items. We then assess its viability, potential, and shortcomings. Due to the main source being cut branches and trimmings, the availability of olive wood is somewhat restricted. An olive tree can be entirely down for lumber when it has finished bearing fruit, which can happen every few hundred years or more.

Olive wood is a costly (and hence rare) resource. But because it is a byproduct of the olive fruit, it is a very eco-friendly timber. We examine the lifespan of olive wood in everyday objects like bowls and earrings to comprehend the material's sustainability. This life-cycle assessment (LCA) technique measures a product's effects on the environment at each stage of its life cycle, from production to recycling. Businesses have strategically employed LCA over the years to conduct research and develop more sustainable goods.

Due to their capacity to sequester carbon and the fact that they may produce fruit and wood from a single tree, they are sustainable in growing olive trees in their natural habitats. Olive wood products can be made with a comparatively small carbon footprint. This is because wood waste produces biomass pellets or byproducts to offset the carbon emissions produced during harvest and processing. Utilizing energy sources free of fossil fuels can also significantly reduce carbon emissions.

Due to the emissions produced by the hauling vehicles that transport wood to sawmills and factories, then furniture to retailers, transporting olive wood is a carbon-intensive stage in the life cycle of olive wood furniture. The carbon footprint of this stage would be reduced the closer it is to the market. Olive wood is more durable than most other woods when used for interior items. Due to the carbon captured during the product's life, olive wood products can be sustainable. When the wood is recycled or utilized to generate bioenergy, the end-of-life stage for furniture made with olive wood is sustainable.

Olive wood is generally sustainable. However, the actual environmental impact of a particular object, such as a bowl or chopping board, relies on various elements, particularly the route and delivery.

Baci, Chiara

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