When Kermit was a tadpole, he sang woefully, “it’s not easy being green…” But times have changed, my little friend, and today it IS so easy to be green. Especially with our new mango and rubberwood furniture!

Rubberwood, also known as Plantation Hardwood, is one the most ecologically friendly lumbers used in today’s furniture industry. It comes from the Amazon Rainforest, whose lumber companies are quickly shedding their deforestation policies by replacing the trees that are being felled with seedlings that quickly take root in the rich soil of the jungles.

Rubberwood trees were once used solely for the extraction of latex, which is milked like sap in a maple tree. After the 25 to 30 year life cycle of latex extraction, the trees would normally be felled to make room for younger trees that would continue the latex supply. However, suppliers have realized the benefit of this dense grain hardwood and are making ‘green’ use of it in manufacturing furniture, toys and kitchen accessories.

This hardwood is durable and easier than some other hardwoods to work with, making it an increasingly popular choice among furniture makers. It is a sustainable wood, which means it is more environmentally friendly than other hardwoods.

Mango wood is another ‘green’ wood. Not only is it gorgeous, with exquisite grain and color quality, it can be harvested more quickly than other hardwoods, which can take decades to grow to a harvesting point. And like Rubberwood, mango wood is not harvested until after the end of its fruit-bearing years.

Also like Rubberwood, the hot and humid conditions make it a verdant environment for saplings to take root, perpetuating the life cycle of the forests.

And it’s versatile! Both woods are useable not only as furniture but also as kitchen cabinetry and larger pieces, including interior doors, showcasing the grain and nuances in the tone of the wood. What’s more, rubberwood and mango wood also take well to combining with other woods and even glass, as the expansion is relatively low.