Woodworking has been under the watchful eye of environmental groups since the Industrial Revolution. While newer industries have recently come out as threats to the environment, woodworking has been honing and updating its technology for years, making the most environmentally- effective machines, for their craft that are a necessity in modern society.
Look at the automotive industry whose vehicles spew out harmful byproducts into the atmosphere in the form of tons of CO2 per year. This problem has only just begun to be addressed by environmental agencies. Lumbering may seem to be the more environmentally detrimental industry at first glance. However, it has actually grown into something quite green. With advances in technology, the woodworking industry has been able to reduce its harmful emissions and wasteful byproducts to a bare minimum, lower than that of other industries that are now being considered harmful.
Take Glue Spreader for example. This tool is commonly used in the woodworking industry. To those outside the world of woodwork, this machine may seem like any other industrial machine that haunts the nightmares of the environmentalist. However, that idea could not be more off-base. Many people may not realize that using a glue spreader is the most efficient way to apply glue to a surface. These machines have close to zero waste. The only glue that doesn’t get used is the glue that is left at the end of the project. No wasted materials or harmful byproducts are a part of the process of glue spreading. Starches are the primary bonding agents for the glues, making the glue environmentally safe and decomposable. Many adhesives also have a zero emission output. This is why the wood industry can claim to be so green.
As can be easily seen, the woodworking industry has come a long way from its Industrial Revolution roots. Environmental friendliness has been growing exponentially in the industry, yet has gone unnoticed by the public as the industry implements greener machinery every year. The glue spreader is just one of many examples of ways that the woodworking industry is performing its necessary work in the most environmentally friendly manor. The woodworking industry may not be single-handedly saving the environment but it is setting a great example. Other industries need to take a leaf out of the woodworking industry’s book and begin to grow into something greener.
