Many of the furniture and toy products stocked by Urchin are made from rubberwood. But did you know where it comes from and how it is produced? Read on…………

Rubberwood is actually a by-product from the culling of the rubber tree. The bark of the tree contains a substance called latex – which is used to produce hundred of everyday objects including, among other things, shoe soles and car tyres. From as early as the 1870’s latex was being harvested from these trees, which originated in Brazil.

After approximately 25 years, the trees can no longer produce enough latex to be commercially viable and until comparatively recently, they would simply have been chopped down. Nowadays, with more emphasis being placed on sustainable wood and environmental concern, they are being recycled and new trees planted in their place – thus ensuring deforestation is never an issue. And while rubberwood is used to make toys and furniture, its uses do not stop there. Sawdust from the wood is used to make compressed fuel cubes and, believe it or not, the finer dust is used to manufacture incense sticks. It also makes perfect mushroom cultivation material!

Urchin is committed to sourcing environmentally friendly, fair trade or ethically produced products wherever possible. Whenever a product meets these criteria, we will always say in the catalogue – so you can be sure that what you buy has a happy history!

All the products shown to the right and below are made from Rubberwood, sustainably harvested in Thailand.