Why Teak Is No Longer Chic

By Arwa Lodhi

Is Teak Sustainable?

For centuries, hard-wearing. glossy teak has been considered the gold standard for wood floors, furniture and doors–so much so, that many species of this slow growing plant (which takes 80-120 years to mature) are now endangered and illegal to purchase. Still, it seems fairly easy to buy teak, and many people still ask: is teak sustainable?

Solid-Bamboo-Flooring-Private-Residence-Louisville-KY_003_1_l
This bamboo floor is gorgeous!

The short answer is ‘no’. But there is still one species called Tectona grandis, or ‘common teak’, which is the only form of the wood that’s legal to export, which is one reason teak seems so ubiquitous today. Unfortunately, there is still a lucrative black market for the wood too, but even if you’re thinking of buying legal teak, if you care about the planet, you may want to think twice about it.

bamboo stool ibuku
Bamboo is very versatile

Why? First of all, the majority of the world’s supply of teak comes from Myanmar and Indonesia, which means the carbon footprint of exporting the material to main markets in Europe, North and South America is very high.

Secondly, much energy is expended in the processing of the wood. Because teak takes so long to mature, quite often young teak is cut, but this must be kiln dried before being sold, which of course uses much fuel in the process even before the wood is shipped off to market.

Xanadu_yacht_Esthec_deck
Even superyachts, like the Xanadu, are using bamboo decking now

Finally, there are specific insects that feed only on teak, so farmers of the wood spray pesticides and various other chemicals to kill off the insects, in order to protect their product. As the insects that live off teak are being killed en masse, this has deeper implications on the entire ecosystem: consider, for example, what happens to the other species that depend on those insects as their food source.

In short, teak simply isn’t eco-friendly. But not to worry–there are plenty of equally gorgeous options that are far more eco-friendly.

For one, reclaimed lumber, including reclaimed teak, is always sustainable. A simple Google check in your area should bring up local reclaimed lumber yards. Secondly, if you are thinking of buying teak outdoor furniture because of the wood’s water-resistant qualities, consider buying rattan or bamboo pieces instead–they’re just as waterproof, but are far more eco-friendly, and are also a fraction of the price. Finally, manufacturing techniques for bamboo are becoming increasingly sophisticated, making this the perfect choice for a glossy floor or refined furniture.

In fact, there’s really no excuse to buy furniture made of recently felled teak–or even wood–given the alternatives above, and considering the heavy carbon footprint of even legally sourced teak wood, perhaps it’s time to start considering this material to be the ‘ivory’ of woods.

Chere Di Boscio
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4 thoughts on “Why Teak Is No Longer Chic”

  1. Pingback: 5 Exotic Hardwoods to Avoid & Why - Vermont Woods Studios

  2. – can you be more specific regarding your claim of a “lucrative black market for the wood” from Indonesia?
    – bamboo is a soft wood and is not waterproof. Since bamboo also comes from Asia, what about its carbon footprint compare to teak?
    – when you say that rattan is waterproof, I assume that you refer to synthetic rattan (since natural rattan is not waterproof). Resin wicker is made from polyethylene and is mostly produced in Asia. Is it ok for the carbon footprint?
    – FYI, kiln dried ovens run on wood wastes and not fuel.

    1. Thanks for adding that. I was gonna point out and remind folks that in order to make bamboo either rot and mold and mildew resistant, etc., all bamboo must be treated with multiple extensive chemical processes in addition to the kiln drying and importing from Asia and chemical spraying for bugs, etc.

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