4 things you should know about rattan & wicker contract furniture
What 4 things should you know about Rattan & Wicker contract furniture? Is Rattan & Wicker really the sustainable eco-friendly product, we all think it is?
Sustainably produced rattan is one of the most eco-friendly materials available. Rattan itself grows like a weed. Each vine can grow up to a huge 200m in length. With vines often towering above people, harvesting is still done by hand and the tip of the vine is then re-planed at the base of its tree to repeat the process. Growing rattan also encourages forest retention as rattan requires trees in situ to support the rattan.
Below are 2 reasons why choosing rattan or wicker as a material for contract furniture is good for the environment:
1. No de-forestation – Rattan is harvested from tall vines which when cleared will grow back quickly
2. Hardy & Resilient - Rattan furniture can easily last for 50 years plus. It can sit in the harsh sun without being ruined. It can handle the cold, too.
We have worked with a variety of projects who have used rattan or wicker chairs for their hospitality interior designs. These include Mykonos Social in Greece, who used the Lucien armchair and Melu armchair, both of which are made from sustainable rattan.
However, if you are interested in using rattan or wicker chairs, over other materials, you might want to consider the potential downside to this type of material for contract furniture.
3. Needs to be processed sustainably – Poor manufacturing for rattan production and lead to the use of toxic chemicals and petrol, which is bad for soil, air and water resources as well as people’s health. Companies such as Vietnam Cleaner Production Centre support rattan companies to make their production more sustainable through cleaner production techniques
4. Grown overseas – Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam are areas where Rattan is produced. Rattan is not native to Europe and so, if Rattan is used in Europe, transport is required.
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