Rubberwood Rubberwood is the timber of Hevea brasiliensis or "Rubber Tree". This type of trees is planted mainly for the yield of rubber latex. The trees start yielding latex after 5- 7 years of planting. However, after 20 to 25 years, the trees cease to produce latex at an economic level and are necessarily felled as part of replanting operations. Previously the felled trees were of low commercial value and mainly used as firewood, but today, due to technological developments,we can convert what was going to waste into wood that has the properties of hardwood and can be used for almost any purpose. Therefore this wood can be categorised as eco-friendly in the sense that we are now using what was going as waste. Rubberwood once treated acquires the properties of traditional hardwoods and is comparable to Teak Wood. As of today, rubberwood has become one of the most popular timbers for making furniture.Consequently, it gives hope and trust to a person using wooden furniture that he will not have to face the guilt of contributing to the destruction of our planet, since a properly planned process of felling is undertaken, there is no hazard to the environment and the supply is sustainable. The Malaysian government had taken the initiative and was successful with the initial export of rubberwood as a sawn timber and as timber products (mainly furniture components). Rubberwood from a valueless timber almost fifteen years ago, is now one of the major resource for making furniture for export and for the production of panel products such as particleboards, fibreboards (MDF), woodfibre cement-bonded particleboards, plywood and other products.

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