Woodzist

The Olive wood is a rare hardwood, recognized by its creamy yellow colour and unique dark brown stunning patterns. It is mostly produced within the Mediterranean basin, where we observe an abundance of olive trees. 

These trees cover a decent part of North Africa (Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco), South Europe (Greece, Italy, Spain), and the Middle East's west side (Lebanon, Palestine, Syria).  

How was olive wood first used?

Olive tree farmers initially used olive wood as firewood due to its high density and its combustion temperature. As technology started bringing more convenience to our lives, the use of trimmed olive tree branches has completely transformed.

How is olive wood used now?

Nowadays, online or in some markets, we encounter a wide selection of kitchenware, home accessories and decorative objects made of olive wood. The elegant colour and astonishing patterns have made this wood unique and, therefore, well appreciated and valued worldwide. Nevertheless, this lumber is available but in minimal quantities.

Olive trees are generally short. Their height is between 26 and 49 feet or 8 to 15 meters. Its gnarly character and twisted branches make it challenging to saw. Considering the olive tree's economic value, olive wood has always been rare to find and is never used as a construction material. Due to the timber's limited quantities, olive wood is only used for small furniture and indoor objects.    

How is it environmentally friendly to use olive wood products?

To grow an olive tree to a perfect shape and ensure the best harvest, farmers have to trim and shape the tree to get the maximum exposure to sunlight. With local artisans' help, these extra branches are transformed into home and kitchen tools for our daily use, keeping it away from being used as firewood and generating extra carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide in the atmosphere. Additionally, this recycling approach engages local artisans in new projects creating more jobs and helping more people provide for their families.

On the other side, farmers need to have all their trees fertile. Therefore, olive trees that reached the end of their natural productive life are cut down. When selling these uprooted trees, farmers gain immediate funds to purchase young fertile trees. This operation helps them maintain stable olive oil production and ensure that every tree removed is quickly replaced. A newly planted olive tree takes three years until the first harvest and up to seven to nine years to become fully productive.

Put in a nutshell, when you purchase an olive wood product, you help farmers planting new trees, support an artisan providing for his family. Also, you get the chance to experience the charm of this rare timber and encourage a natural, eco-friendly, biodegradable product. Consequently, you minimize the use of plastic and other industrial materials in your food preparation. Additionally, when you place your order at our store, www.woodzist.ca or www.woodzist.com, we ensure that a part of your money will be donated for tree planting operations organized in collaboration with the distinguished non-profit national organization Tree Canada.    

This process illustrates a sustainably developing business model, where the social, environmental, and economic components interact in harmony. The final product is then durable, bio-degradable, environmentally-friendly and, most importantly, a BEAUTIFUL piece of art!