Beyond the beautiful sceneries, habitat for wild animals, and apart from furniture and fuel, trees have so much to offer the modern world. Since the industrial, trees have been a primary raw material to numerous industries, providing the much needed raw material for manufacturing various products. Even with the technological age at its peak, trees still play a significant role in modern-day industries.

Rubber

At the top of the list is rubber. Though not known to many, probably due to its slight resemblance to plastic, natural rubber is actually made from trees. The rubbertree, which is predominantly cultivated in Sri Lanka, produces large amounts of latex, which is harvested and processed to make natural rubber. From rubber, products ranging from tires, rubber bands to O ring  can be manufactured. Other things made from rubber include latex gloves, swimming tubes, and inflatable sport balls.

Mattress

Mattresses have for a long time, been manufactured from trees; despite there being synthetic products being used to manufacture mattresses, wood is still the predominant raw material. The mattress can be made to different densities and sizes, which eventually determines its longevity.

Natural Dye

Natural dye is a chemical product that is extracted from trees. This dye can be used for making tattooing ink, hair dye, and shoe polish. Many trees produce natural dye; examples include black walnut, weld, logwood, and sumac.

Clothing and Fabric

Some of the clothing people wear originated from trees. Cellulose fiber from trees is processed to make rayon clothes and bags. Apart from clothing, cellulose fiber is also used to make cigarette filters.

Soap

The Neem tree can be used to manufacture soap and many other products of medicinal value. Neem trees have also been used to make toothpaste, anti-inflammatory drugs, and anti-fungal drugs for decades.

Although most of these products are not solely made from tree material, it’s still impressive that trees are used in the first place. With current concerns over environmental sustainability, however, manufacturers are moving away from tree-based raw material in favor of eco-friendly materials.