Climate change and its effects are being witnessed nationwide – and most metros have been up close and personal with water crises. And while many of us adopt various water saving tactics it’s easy to blame the government for not taking the situation seriously and for squandering money that could have been used to mitigate climate change risks. But, in fact, the Department of Environmental Affairs has taken steps; it’s been working its budget as best as it can, and it’s teamed up with passionate expert environmentalists over the past 3 decades! However, it’s clear that this issue cannot be solved alone – more needs to be done!
What is needed is the business sector with its talents and resources. To stop the sucking up of our precious water by invasive alien trees that are growing at an alarming rate across our country, a strong commercial demand for alien invasive plant biomass needs to be developed. This demand, in the form of gum, wattle and poplar tree-based products, could halt the spread of the ‘invaders’.
So, with the objective of creating a cycle of good, sustainable business, powerful social outcomes and environmental imperatives that support our ability to not only survive, but also to help fight climate change in South Africa, Avocado Vision joined forces with Ian Perry, crafted founder and managing director of Homewood, and Michael Spinks, Property and Development Director of Nandos, and partnered with the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries in a project to manufacture furniture using poplar and wattle (Blackwood) sourced from removing invasive trees in our largest national green programme – Working for Water.
Thus began a story that revolved around alien flora, job creation, the environment, water conservation, collaboration, design, and driving an exciting virtuous cycle agenda.
• Getting off the Ground
Initially it was thought that the project would not get off the ground as the Avocado Vision’s team had established that government-owned, SANBI-operated ‘Eco-furniture’ mills and factories are not allowed to sell their product to the private sector without a complex approval process. Subsequently contact was made with a Working for Water partner company, Aspen Wood Fibre, the owner of a factory and mill in Ficksburg that deals primarily in poplar products. This factory could sell to the private sector; it targeted the harder of the invasive poplars (populus canescens) which meets the SABS SANS specifications for school furniture, and it had the capacity to be able to deliver on a much larger scale.
• The Wood
Poplar is very invasive in the Free State and its eradication and harvesting story is a great one – many jobs and small businesses are created in the process, and water security, the main reason for its eradication, is enhanced with every cubic meter of timber procured. Although the DEFF has been very successful with furniture production using poplar, Homewood’s crafted founder and managing director, Perry was initially of the opinion that “poplar is really not a species we can use currently for various reasons – the biggest being not having the right physical properties I require in a hardwood for higher end furniture use – the biggest issue is the low density values and resulting softness and low mechanical strength values”. But persuaded by the SABS SANS standards and the attractive price point of invasive poplar he decided that he would go ahead and design in the hope that the appearance and resulting value to the end -user could be a winner.
• The Follow-through
Nando’s agreed to a ‘trial testing’ of a table and a few chairs in a Nando’s; and in short space of time the designs to use to test the wood were finalised; the new design ideas became reality – the test pieces were manufactured – and were ready for a trial run in a Nando’s Casa.
• And the Winner – the iLanga chair!
The first words heard when the initial prototype of the iLanga (isiZulu for sun) chair was revealed were “Wow! That’s different!” …and yes, this chair is different in so many ways. To date it is the only chair designed and manufactured by Homewood that is not 100% wood. The framework of the new iLanga chair is steel while the wood used is 100% poplar and wattle (Blackwood). The combination of steel, for strength and durability and the wood for warmth and a natural element plus a wonderful traditional weave using a polyester rope which is available in various colours, created a winner – the perfect addition to the Nando’s Casa chair line up!
The funky iLanga chair was launched at a fabulous new Nando’s Casa at the end of 2019.
The plethora of wild biomass can support decades of production – it provides a feasible solution to water security in our country and presents a perfect opportunity to contribute to water security and economic and social transformation in our country with great innovation and great business, and in this instance, great partnerships.
