Did You Know? According to The National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA), the Fraser Fir is the most popular Christmas tree in North America. Tip of the Month According to Earth911.com, "Real Christmas trees can be recycled in a variety of ways. They can be turned into mulch and used in gardening and landscaping or chipped and used on hiking trails, paths and walkways. Christmas trees have also been used for erosion control, soil stabilization and shoreline maintenance. When used in this manner, the trees not only stabilize the soil, but also provide habitats for fish, birds, amphibians and mammals. Visit Earth911.com to locate your nearest Christmas tree recycling program. In some areas, community groups, like the Boy Scouts, will come pick up the trees curbside for a small donation and take them to the nearest recycling center for you." Talk to Us Have a question, feedback, or want to see a specific topic covered in our newsletter? Write to us! Tell a friend about CKV Sign up to receive this monthly newsletter

December 2009

Welcome to the December edition of the CK Valenti Designs Newsletter.

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Sustainable Furniture

Last month we attended the Phoenix Green Streets event in downtown Phoenix. The event was a success - we had great foot traffic and an excellent response to our artwork. The photo above is a picture of the main display piece in our booth: a media credenza, built from sustainable materials, including:
- Bamboo plywood with water-based finish
- Environmentally friendly (low VOC) patina
- Scrap steel and copper
- MDF with no added urea formaldehyde

This event was the first festival booth we have attempted, and we learned a considerable amount about the logistics of setting up a booth and about the potential customers at these types of events. At the top of the list, we learned people like to touch things. We had very few visitors to our booth who did not run their hands along the bamboo top of the credenza. People also like pictures. We had both a visual slideshow playing on a screen on top of the credenza and a printed portfolio. People enjoyed watching the slidshow and thumbing through the pictures in the portfolio. Finally, we learned that the patterns and colors and textures created by the patina chemicals we use on our metal projects speak to people in different ways...we had several patina samples in our booth and people liked to pick their favorite and talk about its visual impact to them.

Overall, the experience was very valuable for us and we will absolutely do it again.

CK VALENTI DESIGNS BOOTH


OUR MAIN DISPLAY PIECE

EDUCATION CORNER

Comments on Bamboo

In the last few years, bamboo products have been gaining popularity as the sustainable choice in many different industries. Bamboo flooring has become popular, as has clothing made from bamboo. We were recently in a local "green" store and asked the salesperson how "green" bamboo can be if it has to travel to the US in large shipping containers from China. The salesperson didn't have an answer for us, which reinforced our suspicion that bamboo may have some compelling sustainable traits, but its use should still be weighed against other woods that can be harvested locally in the United States.

Regardless, there is no doubt that bamboo has become a trendy building material for the eco-conscious consumer. If bamboo is of interest to you, a material we suggest you look into is bamboo plywood, where only the top layer, or "veneer", of the wood (approximately 1/32nd of an inch thick on each side), is bamboo. In this type of plywood product, the core of the wood is typically non-bamboo plywood or MDF (look for a urea formaldehyde-free MDF that is made in the US). Since the bamboo portion of this material is so thin, it is much more economical to transport across the globe than the 3/4" thick sheets of solid bamboo plywood.

Sustainable facts about bamboo:
- Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on earth
- Bamboo produces 30% more oxygen than a hardwood forest of comparable size
- Bamboo can be selectively harvested annually and regenerates without replanting
- Bamboo is a natural water control barrier because of its wide spread root system and large canopy
- Bamboo can restore degraded lands. It is a pioneering plant and can be grown in soil damaged by overgrazing and poor agriculture

We recommend bamboo products made by Columbia Forest Products.