Sustainability

Life support

Oxenwood is supporting rewilding

1% of sales will go to Rewilding Britain

‘Nature is our life support system, it’s the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink and the energy that sustains us. However, nature is in trouble. Wildlife is in dramatic decline. Species extinction and catastrophic climate change threaten all life on Earth. But nature has the power to heal itself and to heal us, if we let it. That’s what rewilding is all about – restoring ecosystems to the point where nature can take care of itself, and restoring our relationship with the natural world,’ says Charlie Alexander, Oxenwood founder.

The company is now donating 1% of sales to Rewilding Britain through membership of 1% for the Planet. Rewilding Britain defines rewilding as the large-scale restoration of ecosystems to the point where nature is allowed to take care of itself. Rewilding seeks to reinstate natural processes and, where appropriate, missing species – allowing them to shape the landscape and the habitats within it.

Its vision is for at least 5% of the UK to be rewilded, with 25% returned to broader mosaics of nature-friendly land and marine uses, including farming, forestry and fishing. Currently, native woodlands cover 2.5% of the UK. Rewilding Britain calculates that by restoring and protecting native woodland, peatbogs, heaths and species-rich grasslands, over six million hectares could sequester 47million tonnes of CO2 per year. This is more than a tenth of current UK greenhouse gas emissions.

‘Sustainability and environmental considerations are at the heart of the Oxenwood design ethos with inspiration taken from nature, so supporting the charity was an easy choice. Rewilding Britain and Oxenwood believe in leaving a positive legacy; we need to protect the planet and its diversity for future generations,’ says Alexander.

Oxenwood furniture is made, to the fullest extent possible, using only natural and reclaimed materials, with durability and sustainability at the core of everything the company does. All of the oak comes from European certified sustainable resources under FSC and PEFC forest management systems, which ensures that European oak remains a renewable resource. Oxenwood furniture is durable and designed to be passed down through the generations, providing a welcome balance to the short-term nature of today’s consumer society. Visit: www.oxenwood.co.uk