Maple Key Madness Doesn’t Make it Easy to be Green

Here in Central Indiana, spring brings a rain of maple keys. You know, those weird maple tree seed-thingies. As kids, we called them “helicopters” or “whirlybirds” because they spin like a helicopter rotor when falling from the sky. I’m no horticulturist, but I understand that the rooted seeds have to undergo a couple of changes of season before they truly germinate and a maple tree seedling sprouts. It’s a good thing that a small percentage of the seeds actually become mature trees; otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to move among them! Sadly, though, not all trees are so prolific. Global deforestation is a serious problem, but University Loft Company does its part to make sure that we do not contribute to a reduction in the number of trees in the world.

Maple Keys Are Plentiful, But University Loft Works Hard to Keep Our Trees Abundant

At University Loft, we take our environmental commitment seriously. In our solid wood furniture for college and university student housing, we use Environmentally Farmed Timber, or EFT. Specifically, we use a type of tree called Hevea Brasiliensis, or HB. HB trees are a wise environmental choice for furniture manufacturing for several reasons:

First, they are fast-growing, so they can be planted, harvested and replanted in about 20 years, some 40 years more frequently than oak trees. What’s more, HB trees can be tapped during their growth cycle for a natural form of latex that is used in the production of rubber. Multiple uses from a single tree – that’s better for the environment. Our HB trees are grown in managed crops to make sure they are replenished without depleting the world’s forests. Best of all, wood milled from HB trees is stronger than oak, but has a similar attractive grain appearance.

So the wood we use in University Loft’s solid wood modular dorm room furniture might not be as naturally plentiful as those fruitful maples, but we do our part to make sure they stay healthy, growing, useful and abundant. We think that’s good for our environment. Don’t you?

Bob

The ULoft Blog Team

About University Loft Company and our solid wood modular residence life furniture:

Since 1984, when James Jannetides built a loft configuration for his own dorm room at Southern Illinois University, hundreds of thousands of college students have enjoyed better campus living thanks to University Loft furniture. Today, University Loft serves more than 1,200 colleges, universities and related student housing partners. As Jannetides’ says: “We are always learning, always innovating, and always improving … our environment, our products, and our service. We are University Loft Company.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *