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Trees are indispensable
for the development and support of civilisations.
One of the oldest living organisms on the
planet, forests support diverse life and
provide three of the key ingredients to
a species survival - food, shelter and water.
Along with these triumvirates, a great emphasis
is placed on trees reflecting on their ecological,
cultural and biological importance. Forests
form an important part of this and play
a crucial role in sustaining the balance
of the ecosystem.
Now, the very same forests
are being cleared and trees are being felled
in the name of modernisation, which is causing
irrevocable damage to the ecosystem.
But, on the other hand,
it is true that forest products like wood
have become an integral part of our lives.
We use wood at home, in the office, at schools
and everywhere else and the demand for wood
is growing steadily.
The Tata company has always
been alert to conservation and has quickly
realised the need to find a balance between
preserving our forests and the need for
an alternative source to quality wood without
disturbing the ecological system. In today's
world of rapid modernisation and fast disappearing
forests, Tata Coffee Limited has worked
towards this goal for years and is one of
the few plantation companies in the world
who grow trees to replace the ones that
have been felled, in a perpetually sustainable
cycle. The felled softwood trees are converted
into plywood of different types under the
brand name 'Conswood'.
Conswood comes from trees
grown as shade for coffee saplings on Tata's
own estates in Hassan, Chikmagalur and Coorg,
and are cut only when other trees are ready
to take its place. The company takes special
care to see that every tree felled is replaced
through replanting, thus becoming the country's
finest 100 per cent renewable wood. Tata
Coffee's timber resources on the estate
include Rosewood, Silver Oak and other softwood
trees.
Since Tata Conswood comes
from plantation wood, quality control is
apparent at every stage, from the selection
of trees to the final step of sheet making.
The branded products include timber value
added products such as plywood - commercial
and marine, block boards and the hi-end
wood composites.
The plywood comes from
a single species, therefore it has uniform
properties and is strong and durable. There
are no internal stresses and hence no bending
and warping.
Tata Conswood plywood
is made from select 100 per cent single
species Silver Oak trees, both on the face
as well as the core, and is chemical-impregnated
for greater strength. Marine Conswood ply
is PF resin bonded under high temperature
and pressure to keep the bonding intact.
This makes it Boiling Water Proof (BWP).
The finished plywood is subjected to toxic
chemical treatment to provide protection
against insects like borers and termites
and fungi. The whole process is monitored
by skilled personnel and strict quality
control measures at every stage of production
helps eliminate imperfections, if any.
Tata's heavy-duty plywood
is available in:
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