An Indonesian re-forestation programme - co-founded by a leading UK furniture retailer - has received a boost after the range of sustainable furniture it has designed and sourced is now displayed by over 125 UK retailers in its first six months following launch.
 
An Indonesian re-forestation programme - co-founded by a leading UK furniture retailer - has received a boost after the range of sustainable furniture it has designed and sourced is now displayed by over 125 UK retailers in its first six months following launch.
 
 
Trees4TreesTM is a not-for-profit community reforestation programme, working within Central Java to gift high-value tree saplings to local villages and communities. This increases the proportion of community-owned woodland - helping to tackle the problem of illegal de-forestation of the region's rainforests.
 
Such has been the success of the Trees4TreesTM initiative that the organisation has launched two new furniture ranges, recruited three new furniture manufacturers and now plans to launch to consumers in the USA, mainland Europe and Russia.
 
The scheme, which has so far planted 150,000 saplings throughout central Java, has now become self-financing by charging a small nominal levy; the sun, soil and local communities do the rest!
 
Among the 125 retailers currently signed up are Lombok and Barker & Stonehouse - the latter being one of the key founding partners, instrumental in bringing the furniture range to market.
 
 
James Barker, managing director for Barker & Stonehouse said: "Key to the long-term success of the Trees4TreesTM programme is widespread availability of the furniture to consumers.
 
For too long ethically sourced furniture has commanded a premium price. However, the simplicity and affordability of this scheme seems to have struck a chord with so many retailers that we are now stepping up production and recruiting new manufacturers to the programme.
 
James added: "Independent retailers have typically been excluded from the ethical furniture market because of the relatively high prices charged by manufacturers for product. This 'ethical' mark up was in turn added onto the final retail price meaning that customers were penalised for trying to do the right thing.
 
"The great thing about Trees4TreesTM is its simplicity. The charge applied is very low - yet with that money, we can do so much.
 
"The successful launch of Trees4TreesTM demonstrates that the appetite for high quality, ethically-sourced products remains unabated."