In April of this year, the Myanmar government announced a ban on the logging of teak. The ban is intended as a measure against the deforestation that has been occurring in the country for decades. The measure can, moreover, be effective in curbing the large-scale illegal trade in teak. The government wants to take its time to carry out an inventory of the forests in Myanmar and to improve their management. The logging ban will last for at least a year. After that, the government will assess whether or not new logging concessions will be granted. It is possible that less forest area will be available for logging.
Teak tree logging in Myanmar has been taking place on a large scale for years, because worldwide demand for teak is high and trading this type of wood is lucrative. The country even made an important contribution to the strong decline in natural teak forests on earth. The consequences for the environment are disastrous. Teak trees provide natural storage for carbon, for instance, which is released into the atmosphere when they are logged, accelerating global warming. In addition to this, teak logging has an adverse effect on biodiversity, as species of plants and animals disappear along with the forests.
Fully recyclable
To develop a durable material that offers many more advantages than teak: that was one of the motives for founding Esthec®. Today, the company has more than 50 years of experience in developing composites and offers Esthec® as a sustainable solution. No trees need to be logged for Esthec® and the material is fully recyclable. This means that Esthec® is always available and that the composite material will never be in short supply.
Besides this environmental advantage, Esthec® offers many product advantages compared to teak. Esthec® looks like teak and feels like teak, but is much more durable than its wooden counterpart. It lasts for decades, does not weather like wood and requires very little maintenance. Esthec® does not warp like PVC or wood either, is splinter free and feels comfortable to bare feet. Unlike teak, Esthec® is non-slip in both dry and wet conditions. In addition, Esthec® is available in a variety of colours and easy to install in any desired pattern, allowing complete freedom of design.
Low maintenance
Esthec® is used as an innovative decking material on boats such as sailing yachts, tenders and day cruisers. For boat owners, the first-class material is the ultimate alternative to teak. An Esthec® deck is easy to clean and does not absorb water, so unlike decks made from teak, it does not host algae growth. Moreover, Esthec® is slip resistant, an important advantage for both competitive sailors and recreational boaters.
Not only has Esthec® been developed as a decking material for the nautical industry, but also for terrace applications. Esthec® Terrace is suitable for use in gardens, but also on terraces of hotels, resorts and beach clubs. It is also used on balconies, roof terraces, jetties and as decking material around swimming pools and in outdoor spa areas. The material has a liveliness as well as a modern, luxury feel to it and still looks good after many years.
