Los Lagos Region (Region of the Lakes) is one of Chile’s 16 regions. Historically, the Huilliche, the largest indigenous group of the region, has called this territory between Bueno River and Reloncaví Sound, Futahuillimapu, meaning “the great land of the south.” Los Lagos Region’s economy is based on fishing, salmon aquaculture, forestry and cattle farming. Tourism is economically important in The Andes, where ski resorts, hot springs, and recreational fisheries are popular activities. From 2001 to 2020, the region lost 143k hectares of tree cover.

The region contains the country’s second-largest island, Chiloé, and the second-largest lake, Llanquihue. Chiloé Island is an example of the importance of preserving both trees and seas. The island is heavily impacted by the fish farming industry, which pollutes its shores with plastic. It is also heavily deforested, having lost more than 310,000 acres of forest in the last two decades.

Forests impact oceans by reducing sediment runoff and helping to reduce carbon absorption in the sea, leading to acidification. As the trees grow, they will improve the relationship between forests, water, air quality, and the carbon cycle, benefiting biodiversity, and the ecosystem as a whole. Planting trees also empowers people to directly impact their local environment and raise awareness of the Island’s unique ecology and culture. 

CUTEK® is both honoured and excited to play a small part in supporting One Tree Planted and the future generations of Chile.

For more information about One Tree Planted and the work they are doing, head to One Tree Planted. For more information about how CUTEK® partners with One Tree Planted, head to Our Focus On Sustainable Practices – CUTEK Timber Protection.

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One Tree Planted has planted 1,000,000 native trees to restore 357 acres of land on 6 sites in the great Southwest of Western Australia. As an internationally recognized Biodiversity Hotspot, the Southwest of Western Australia is one of the oldest and most biologically diverse ecosystems on the planet. With over 50% endemism (found nowhere else on earth), plant species richness is extraordinarily high. Despite its rich ecological and cultural history, this area has been historically over-cleared for large-scale industrial agriculture — leaving behind fragmented ecosystems in need of restoration to improve their health and increase climate change resilience.

The 90+ tree and shrub species planted were carefully selected to support native wildlife — for example, One Tree Planted specifically planted species that produce seeds that are consumed by the iconic and endangered Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo, which is endemic to this region. Other flowering species will provide nectar for invertebrate life, while also feeding local nectarivorous bird and marsupial populations. In addition to the Cockatoo, over 150 bird species, including the Wedge-Tailed Eagle and Emu — as well as mammals like Pygmy Possums, Honey Possums, Kangaroos, Echidnas and more will benefit.

In addition to biodiversity benefits, One Tree Planted’s planting partners worked together with the local Indigenous community’s Nowanup Ranger Group to support cultural healing for members of the Noongar community at every project site.  This included two Smoking Ceremonies and a Welcome to Country Ceremony to mark the start of the planting program, facilitated by local Noongar Elder and Leader Eugene Eades. Smoking ceremonies are an important part of indigenous culture and are an ancient custom to cleanse an area of bad spirits and promote good health. In addition, 12 Noogar Rangers were employed throughout the season to participate in the tree planting work.

CUTEK® is both honoured and excited to play a small part in supporting One Tree Planted and the future generations of Australia.

For more information about One Tree Planted and the work they are doing, head to One Tree Planted. For more information about how CUTEK® partners with One Tree Planted, head to Our Focus On Sustainable Practices – CUTEK Timber Protection.

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First, CUTEK® oils penetrate deeply into wood to protect from the effects of moisture and improve the service life of timber. With CUTEK® protection oils, timber lasts longer in the built environment. This minimises the frequency of timber replacement and felling of trees.

Secondly, we are always looking for ways to minimise our manufacturing carbon footprint. CUTEK® products are often manufactured with the use of high-grade recycled raw materials which decreases waste streams and incinerations. CUTEK® also recycles many other manufacturing materials such as pallets, drums and cardboard. This leads to a significant reduction in waste and reduces raw material requirements, indirectly reducing natural resource requirements.

Thirdly, CUTEK® is committed to formulating products with lower VOCs that also retain their performance characteristics. Broadly speaking volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are organic chemical compounds whose composition makes it possible for them to evaporate under normal atmospheric conditions of temperature and pressure. Lower VOC products, not only are more environmentally friendly, but provide better value to the user as more product is retained in the timber rather than evaporating to the environment.

At CUTEK®, we take sustainability seriously.

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Furthermore, as timber grows it extracts carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.  Most of this carbon remains stored in the wood long after it is used.

Timber can certainly be an eco-conscious choice over other building materials. However, there are some additional requirements that need to be fulfilled to achieve a coveted Green Star sustainability rating.

Purchase timber from a sustainable source

Sustainable timber is wood that is planted, grown and harvested responsibly following strict codes of practice.

When sourcing timber for a Green Star project, a fully certified chain of custody is critical.

According to Timber Queensland, certified timber suppliers demonstrate:

• A commitment to planning and monitoring
• Adherence to laws and rights to the land
• Consideration of indigenous, community and worker rights, values and benefits
• Protection of environmental and ecological values
• Assurance of ongoing forest yields.

The three most common forest certification systems in Australia are:

• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
• Australian Forestry Standard AS4708 (AFS)
• Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC)

‘Look for these logos when purchasing your timber’

Certified suppliers can be found or verified by using the search databases published on the relevant scheme’s website.

 Environment-friendly timber protection products

After going to the trouble to source sustainable wood, it is important that the timber oil or wood protector used are also environmentally friendly.

What are VOCs and why are they harmful?

VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compounds. A vapour is given off by chemical compounds present in paints, sealant for wood, adhesives, primers, cleaning agents and other chemical-based finishes and wood coatings.

Specify low VOC products

Using a specialist Timber Protection product such as CUTEK® LowVOC is a must for achieving a Green Star project.

If part of a timber installation is to be painted or adhesive is required, the materials specified should also be low VOC.

Pursue a Green Star rating today

For a timber installation to be truly sustainable and achieve a Green Star rating, it is critical to source certified timber and use eco-friendly protection products on the wood.

Contact us to discuss how CUTEK®’s LowVOC timber oil can help you to achieve a Green Star project.

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