Logs Direct supports massive South African ‘Walls of Wood’

By Catapult PR

24 Oct 2023

Website
3.jpg.jpg

As the UK’s leading wood specialist, Lancaster-based company Logs Direct is putting its weight behind massive ‘walls of wood’ in South Africa, each measuring 1.2 metres in height and 500 metres in length and containing two million pieces of wood.

With ten such walls in situ in South Africa, homeowners around Britain can rest assured that, despite global issues in sourcing wood, Logs Direct has no concerns about continuity of supply, having partnered with the business that is building not just these walls of wood but local resilience too. 

As a result, Logs Direct customers buying this wood can not only secure the wood they need for their appliances but also support a vital social enterprise in South Africa, which is helping to enrich lives in five African townships in the Overberg region of the Western Cape.  

This is because Proper Wood, to which Logs Direct has provided a vibrant retail platform via its online website, has already helped to create 450 jobs and generate positive impacts for 2,500 people living in the five townships.  With unemployment rates running at around 49 per cent in Overberg, such job opportunities make a massive difference.

In addition, the social enterprise that has sprung up around the felling of wood is helping to combat an environmental threat for the townships – one caused by non-indigenous plants which extract water from local supplies, making drought a constant worry.  Taking water away from native species, which then suffer, also creates imbalances in eco-systems.

In some areas, around 60 per cent of the landscape has been overtaken by these alien invasive species. 

A major culprit in the draining of water supplies is the eucalyptus tree, which is why the local government has sought to take back environmental control and fell these trees.

Proper Wood was founded in 2020, to make use of all of the resulting wood, as its owners recognised that, for all its environmental faults in South Africa, eucalyptus actually makes perfect firewood. 388 acres of this alien invasive species has been cleared, saving a water loss equivalent to the size of 106 Olympic size swimming pools (264,938 sq m).

An Eco-system-wide impact analysis of Proper Wood firewood has been developed by the esteemed Professional James Blignaut, who is attached to the School of Public leadership at Stellenbosch University.  Professor Blignaut, also an honorary research associate of the South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON), gave the enterprise a 7.3 BCR rating, which indicates that the benefits derived from the entire product value chain are 7.3 times greater than the costs.  For every unit of cost incurred in the form of CO2 emissions, the product value chain generates 7.3 units of benefit to people and the planet.

Recognising that some CO2 is created when clearing and transporting the product, Proper Wood will donate £221.50, per 40-foot shipping container, to a voluntary carbon offset project, run in partnership with the Regenerative SPACE Non-Profit Company.  This means that Proper Wood can be considered carbon neutral.  No carbon is generated in the drying of the product in the South African sun. 

When Logs Direct came across the Proper Wood product, it recognised the benefits for UK customers and saw that the sustainability behind the product’s story would match perfectly with other products in its range.  It partnered with Proper Wood, to ensure its customers can now choose 25cm-long Proper Wood Logs, if they wish to use this fuel and that distribution of the product can occur seamlessly, UK-wide.

There are certainly practical reasons to use this wood, as well as emotional ones. Eucalyptus is a hardwood, offering a high energy value of 5.2Mwh/T, by virtue of a dense wood structure. It also provides an extended burn time, so is ideal for when a long, slow heat source is required.  It generates minimal smoke and is a perfect wood to use in woodburner, firepit, pizza oven, woodfired hot tub or chimenea, with little or no spitting and sparking.

Proper Wood has provided employment opportunities to local people who can utilise the felled eucalyptus by preparing the product that arrives on the market. Each piece of wood is, on average, around 800g in weight, and all of the logs produced to this size, are carefully stacked to dry naturally in the South African sun, at between 30°C and 35°C.  This creates the walls of wood that together constitute around 20 million pieces of eucalyptus.

In summer, the wood takes around eight weeks to dry out to the required Defra level of below 20 per cent moisture content – the requirement before any wood can be compliant under ‘Ready to Burn’ legislation.  In the winter, with the help of good winds and temperatures of between 15°C and 20°C, drying is accomplished in between 12 and 16 weeks.

The wood is cut all year round and the majority of the final logs preparation is carried out in South Africa. It is packed in 70 per cent recycled LLDPE plastic bags, which can then be completely recycled after use.  This material is waterproof and durable and processed at lower temperatures, making production less energy-intensive.

Logs Direct’s sales director, Stephen Talbot, says: “The minute we came across this story and supplier, we knew this product was something that fits perfectly with our ethos of not just sourcing wood but also supporting local communities that need to generate income from their local resources. 

“We also recognised how Logs Direct’s reach could really assist this product, by taking it out to more people via our long-established relationship in the wood fuel market and our distribution systems. We believe we are helping to make a difference in South Africa, as a result of our partnering with Proper Wood.”

Proper Wood director, Jay Williams, adds: “It has been great working with Logs Direct as their infrastructure and enthusiasm for good dry wood seems to keep growing.  Feedback from last season has provided confidence to go forward and sell much more.“

Proper Wood logs can be bought from Logs Direct in individual bags, priced at £6.50, or in pallets of 60 or 120 bags.  Logs Direct is also helping to boost the product’s sales, by bundling Proper Wood logs with other products in its range, to create useful and easy-to-use packaged purchases, whether that is for home use, caravanning or glamping.

Enjoyed this? Read more from Catapult PR

Latest news

1

fulfilmentcrowd ships 200,000 items on Black Friday Fulfilmentcrowd Black Friday

fulfilmentcrowd ships 200,000 items on Black Friday

01 Dec 2023

2

Blackpool's civil service hub hits construction milestone Civil Service Hub Construction

Blackpool's civil service hub hits construction milestone

30 Nov 2023

3

Don't judge, not everybody's got a great brand, ok? Laura Weldon Studio LWD

Don't judge, not everybody's got a great brand, ok?

27 Nov 2023

4

Empowering businesses of all sizes with our pallet delivery service Pallet Services 01.jpg.jpg

Empowering businesses of all sizes with our pallet delivery service

03 Dec 2023

5

Lancashire/Morecambe Hotspots: Give and tech Leighton Hall

Lancashire/Morecambe Hotspots: Give and tech

01 Dec 2023

2664LBD980x120gif
Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Reach 50,000 members of the Lancashire business community

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Company profile
Social reach
Magazine coverage
Sign-up
Events
Help to Grow Management Course
Collaboration v3.png.png
LBV Hub Seminars
31 Oct 2023 - 14 Feb 2024

Help to Grow Management Course

University of Central Lancashire, School, Online and face-to-face , UCLan, PR1 2HE

09:30 - 11:30

Business Networking in Blackburn - BNI Vista
EVENT LISTING Networking In Halifax (1).png.png
LBV Hub Networking
05 Dec 2023

Business Networking in Blackburn - BNI Vista

Hampton by Hilton, Blackburn, BB1 3AL

06:45 - 08:30

Using your existing Pension to invest in Commercial property
Chris Montgomery SmgTvepind4 Unsplash
LBV Hub Webinar
05 Dec 2023

Using your existing Pension to invest in Commercial property

Zoom, Burnley, BB11 1JG

09:00 - 09:45

Business Networking in Lancaster - Eden Business Network
Eden Business Network.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
06 Dec 2023

Business Networking in Lancaster - Eden Business Network

The Borough, 3 Dalton Square, Lancaster, LA1 1PP

18:30 - 20:30

Twas the night before ransomware
Event Graphic 3.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
07 Dec 2023 - 07 Dec 2023

Twas the night before ransomware

The Lowry Theatre, Salford Quays, M50 3AZ

14:00 - 17:00

Discover the power of BNI - Business Networking in Preston
Preston.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
07 Dec 2023

Discover the power of BNI - Business Networking in Preston

Samlesbury Preston Hotel, Preston New Road, Samlesbury, PR5 0UL

09:30 - 11:00

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire
LBV Hub Networking
07 Dec 2023

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire

Stanley House, Blackburn, BB2 7NP

11:30 - 14:30

Business Networking in Preston - BNI Brunch
EVENT LISTING SIZING Brunch .png.png
LBV Hub Networking
08 Dec 2023

Business Networking in Preston - BNI Brunch

Samlesbury Hotel, Preston, PR5 0UL

09:30 - 11:00

Business Networking in Lancaster - Eden Business Network
Eden Business Network.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
13 Dec 2023

Business Networking in Lancaster - Eden Business Network

The Borough, 3 Dalton Square, Lancaster, LA1 1PP

18:30 - 20:30

Discover the power of BNI ONLINE - Business Networking in Lancashire
Preston.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
14 Dec 2023

Discover the power of BNI ONLINE - Business Networking in Lancashire

Online Meeting, -, -

09:30 - 11:00

Business Networking in Preston - BNI Brunch
EVENT LISTING SIZING Brunch .png.png
LBV Hub Networking
15 Dec 2023

Business Networking in Preston - BNI Brunch

Samlesbury Hotel, Preston, PR5 0UL

09:30 - 11:00

Business Networking in Lancaster - Eden Business Network
Eden Business Network.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
20 Dec 2023

Business Networking in Lancaster - Eden Business Network

The Borough, 3 Dalton Square, Lancaster, LA1 1PP

18:30 - 20:30

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV Advertising Visual NovDec
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin