A key aspect of sustainability, and a catch cry is 'Reduce, Reuse, Recycle'. Recently, we have done just that, and I wanted to share the experience, and some of the reasons why.
We have a very old dining table sitting under our house (and every other house we have lived in for the last 20 years), that I estimate to be at least 100 years old. It is made of Silky Oak, a Grevillea that is extremely useful for windows and furniture, because it is resistant to rotting.
A few months ago, we decided to gift our existing table to some good friends, and rather than buy another one, agreed that as a family, we could restore the old one. We felt that this was an ideal way to show our daughter that we could take something that we did not use anymore, and turn it into something useful, if not beautiful.
One of the primary reasons that it was important, is that even though Silky Oak is relatively drought resistant and fast growing, the harvesting of Silky Oak is severely resticted due to the depletion of stocks. In effect, it is endangered, and we felt it was important to utilise it, rather than let it go to waste.
Over the coming weeks we did a lot of research. We read the Green Magazine, as well as The Green Pages to find products that we felt comfortable with using. Finally, we chose an oil and a varnish from Bio Products. Because we have kids that would eat off the table, we wanted non toxic paints, and those that would limit the release of V.O.C.'s. For us, the Bio Product range available from Hand Made Naturals in Highgate Hill, Brisbane, fit the bill.
Over the next few weeks, we sanded the table, oiled it, and varnished it, just in time for Mothers day lunch.
In the end, we have a beautiful functional tale, but more than that, we have re-used a depleted resource, and restored it in a way that we feel comfortable with. All the while, we have helped our daughter to see the benefits of reusing, rather that just dumping.
To look at a few more photos, look here. It could use another coat or two, and maybe a light sand. However, responsibility and sustainability for our family are more than just the big issues like climate change, and resource depletion. For us it is a series of little issues every day, so while we are happy with the results, we are even happier with the process.
A few months ago, we decided to gift our existing table to some good friends, and rather than buy another one, agreed that as a family, we could restore the old one. We felt that this was an ideal way to show our daughter that we could take something that we did not use anymore, and turn it into something useful, if not beautiful.
One of the primary reasons that it was important, is that even though Silky Oak is relatively drought resistant and fast growing, the harvesting of Silky Oak is severely resticted due to the depletion of stocks. In effect, it is endangered, and we felt it was important to utilise it, rather than let it go to waste.
Over the coming weeks we did a lot of research. We read the Green Magazine, as well as The Green Pages to find products that we felt comfortable with using. Finally, we chose an oil and a varnish from Bio Products. Because we have kids that would eat off the table, we wanted non toxic paints, and those that would limit the release of V.O.C.'s. For us, the Bio Product range available from Hand Made Naturals in Highgate Hill, Brisbane, fit the bill.
Over the next few weeks, we sanded the table, oiled it, and varnished it, just in time for Mothers day lunch.
In the end, we have a beautiful functional tale, but more than that, we have re-used a depleted resource, and restored it in a way that we feel comfortable with. All the while, we have helped our daughter to see the benefits of reusing, rather that just dumping.
To look at a few more photos, look here. It could use another coat or two, and maybe a light sand. However, responsibility and sustainability for our family are more than just the big issues like climate change, and resource depletion. For us it is a series of little issues every day, so while we are happy with the results, we are even happier with the process.
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