ilovani makes a concerted effort to ensure that they contribute to the preservation of our beautiful world.

By adhering to criteria as recommended by the South African Forestry Department; using wood from removed alien plant species, and recycling off-cuts of wood from both larger furniture items and discarded wine barrels, ilovani ensures that their entire range of creations is “Green”.

• By buying their wood from the Forestry Department, ilovani strives to ensure that they are not a part of deforestation. Trees are only felled if they are in a state of degeneration or dead, and three to four new trees are planted in their place. No heavy machinery is used at the heart of the forest, ensuring minimum ilampact on the environment. All logs are numbered by the Department and have certificates of authenticity, serving as proof of ilovani’s involvement with the Green Protective and Maintenance Programme. For more details, visit the Wood page.
• Australian Myrtle (Leptospermum laevigatum) is an alien invader tree species whose prevalence is on the increase in areas such as the Garden Route. It is listed by the Forestry Department on the “Invader Species List”, and South Africa has task teams (such as Working for Water) that actively seek to eradicate such species. ilovani contributes to this cause by clearing the plants from their grounds. Instead of simply destroying the weeds, however, the designers saw an opportunity for further use and therefore contribute to the “Green” initiative. Accessories (salt and pepper pinch pots and candles) are created from Myrtle.
• ilovani has an extensive range of novel, innovative accessories. These creations are made from recovered off-cuts of the larger furniture pieces.
• Discarded French Oak wine barrels are purchased from wine farms around South Africa. After restoring the wood of the barrel staves to their original glory, the wood is used to create unique pieces such as hammocks, bread or cheese platters and wine racks.

These methods of recycling maximises the potential of every piece and strip of wood. Furthermore, it not only eliminates the issue of waste, but also limits the carbon emissions created in the process of disposing (burning) the waste.
ilovani is Green and conscientious about their creations: are you?