At Noisy Junction, we are making a determined effort to make a difference in the world. But it can be SO hard to figure out what changes t o make, and too overwhelming to make all of them that many people just don't. So our decision has been to think as sustainably as possible.
The charcuterie boards you see in our store are made of ash. Ash has a complicated history and in our area of the world, has been almost utterly wiped out by Emerald ash borer. Nasty bug. However, it does mean there are unharvested trees everywhere, so this wood is not coming from a forestry or causing rainforests to be cut down to source it. The ash wood itself is in great condition for working; the ash borer doesn't affect the main part of the wood, doing its damage between the bark and the phloem near the surface. Noted for it's durability, this open pore wood has a regular smooth grain that aids in the construction of furniture and housewares. The borer leaves interesting trail marks on its journey, and we love the effects that can be achieved by highlighting these in live edge .
Elm has been another woody victim of a fatal problem which you can learn more about here - https://www.britannica.com/science/Dutch-elm-disease. There are still a few standing specimens to be found, and have some of these planed into boards. Elm is a 'soft hardwood', gotta love those oxymorons. Basically that means, it fits in the hardwood category for it's durability and the colour of the sap and heartwood, but it isn't great for outdoor applications. If you're looking for details on types of wood, check out The Wood Database (wood-database.com)
We also look for reclaimed barn board to use in our products, which lends a character and textural quality to many of the gift products. reclaiming and reusing wood and timber in products is our genes. Our maternal grandfather was well known in his native Ireland as an antique dealer, but may have at times been rather creative in what he termed antique. He used to find old pieces such as dressers and cabinets, and repurpose the already old wood to make 'faketique' pieces for unsuspecting tourists.
Looking for ways to source and use wood that is not direct from a lumber yard or forestry is one way we are making our products sustainable.