Not all deadwood: In Hong Kong, furniture made from tree waste

Hong Kong, 17 March: The growl of a chainsaw fills the air as a dead longan tree is felled under the watchful eye of Ricci Wong, founder of a Hong Kong non-profit to turn tree waste into furniture and other household products. HK Timberbank collected more than 300 tonnes of trees in Hong Kong for recycling last year, most of which would have otherwise been dumped in landfills because of rot or insect infestation. Each piece of furniture takes three to four months to manufacture, Wong said, from drying the wood, to designing and making the items with professional woodworking tools. Hong Kong sends more than 380 tonnes of wood and rattan to municipal landfills every day, according to government figures.