Is Teak Sustainable? Why Teak Is No Longer Chic

It’s beautiful and hardwearing. But is teak sustainable? Let’s look at the facts

By Arwa Lodhi

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 are now endangered and illegal to purchase.

Still, it seems fairly easy to buy teak, and so many people still ask: is teak sustainable?

What Is Teak?

First, let’s look at what teak wood is, exactly.

This tropical, deciduous hardwood is a species in the family Lamiaceae. It has a leather-like smell when it is freshly milled, and is particularly valued for its durability and water resistance. The wood is used for boat building, exterior construction, furniture, and carvings. Its oil is also used to protect other woods.

Teak trees mature after around 80-100 years, and they can live for 500 years or more.

Is Teak Sustainable?

The short answer is ‘no’. As mentioned above, teak is such a slow growing wood, that there’s simply no way it could be sustainable. Additionally, over the course of the nearly 100 years a tree needs to mature, just imagine all the wildlife, insects and microorganisms that would have taken hold of the tree as their habitat. With every tree felled, countless animals also die.

Not only is purchasing teak terrible for the environment, then, but it’s also as bad as purchasing a blood diamond in some ways.

For example, teak plantations were widely established in Equatorial Africa during the Colonial era. The colonists created more and more demand for these trees. Today, these timber resources, (as well as oil), is at the heart of the South Sudanese conflict.

Moreover, since the 2021 Myanmar coup d’état, illegal logging of teak has exploded. Both the Burmese military and resistance groups have profited from the illegal logging trade. Smugglers, mainly from China, transport the wood to India to circumvent economic sanctions and use forged certificates that claim the wood was sourced from permitted areas. 

Do you really want to purchase a wood that’s fuelling conflict?

Why You Should Avoid Buying Teak

Besides the fact that most species of teak are endangered, and purchasing it fuels conflict, you should also consider other reasons teak is not sustainable.

For example, 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.

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.

More Eco Friendly Alternatives

In short, teak simply is not sustainable. 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 more sustainable. A simple Google check in your area should bring up local reclaimed lumber yards.

In addition, clonal propagation of teak has been successfully done through grafting, rooted stem cuttings, and micropropagation.

That being said, remember what was mentioned above: using even reclaimed or cloned teak can create more demand for illegal wood.

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. These are just as waterproof, but are far more eco-friendly, and are also a fraction of the price. 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 teak in any form, 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. Wouldn’t you agree?