Plywood Supplier in Portugal? ("Plan B")

[nelsonic]

Ideally I would like to manufacture all of the furniture from Bamboo
because it's arguably more environmentally sustainable than Hardwood Ply see: nelsonic/nelsonic.github.io#15

However, if the shipping & import costs (from China to PT) end up being "prohibitive",
an alternative is to get Birch Plywood from a "local" supplier.
There are quite a few companies that sell Plywood (obviously; it's a popular building material!)
The ("big box") "retail" stores are not "cheap" and none of the B2B suppliers list their prices!!

Aki (the equivalent of "Home Depot" in EU/Portugal)
sells Plywood (no detail on what type of wood it is!) for €51.99 per 1220 x 2440 x 12 mm sheet.
https://www.aki.pt/madeiras-e-construcao/paineis-madeira/paineis-madeira-para-corte/osb/Paineldecontraplacadoparainterior/exterior122x244cm-12mm-P58876.aspx

I used AKI plywood in projects (e.g. tables, desks, chairs, bookshelves, etc) when I lived in PT,
the quality is "standard", but the price is expensive per sheet.

Similarly, Leroy Merlin (akin to "Lowes") sells Plywood for €59.99 per 1220 x 2440 x 18 mm sheet
(which would be a good thickness to use for our project ...)
http://www.leroymerlin.pt/Site/Produtos/Madeiras/Paineis/18896794.aspx

However ... "Tipo de madeira: Okoumé" (the type of wood is okoumé) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aucoumea_klaineana

Native to equatorial west Africa in Gabon and the Republic of the Congo,
so unlikely to be "FSC" ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_Stewardship_Council
(if it's not explicitly stated it's a pretty safe "bet" that it's **not FSC-certified...) 😕
Additionally it is classified as "vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/33213/0

So I would rather not use it if we can avoid it ... 🌳 😞

There is a "counter argument" that "supporting" the West African Wood industry through trade
helps the local economy to develop, however I do not "buy" it because - from both research and personal experience (speaking to west-African farmers in our "Fair Trade" days..._) - I know that much of the wood being logged in the region is unsustainable:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deforestation_in_the_Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo and
http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/deforestation/deforestation_fronts/deforestation_in_the_congo_basin
Interactive Map that shows the scale of world deforestation: http://www.globalforestwatch.org

The latest "FAO" (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) report
for West and Central Africa is:
http://www.fao.org/forestry/45021-04023cd52f4619cd28fe747b7e42c167f.pdf

The B2B supplier with the best SERP for the query: "comprar contraplacado portugal"
https://www.google.pt/search?q=comprar+contraplacado+portugal ("buy plywood Portugal")
is: http://www.multiplacas.pt/pt/produtos/2/multibirch (at the time of writing ...)

I've sent them a "pedido" (quote request) via their contact form
because obviously they don't have any prices (or a price list) on their site!

Alternative suppliers:

• http://www.silmadeiras.pt/pt/produtosdesc/12177
• https://www.laminarmad.com/PT/contraplacado/cDesenrolado.aspx
• https://www.sandalo.pt/contraplacados-decorativos/65-velatura-celulosa-dha-mogno.html

I plan to email each of them to get quotes.

[nelsonic]

Got a reply from "Multiplacas":

10,97€ per m2 (roughly €33+VAT per board) >> €40.59 per board
Given that we are likely to use 100 of these boards, this is a lot cheaper. 🎉

[nelsonic]

This is a great article: https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/a-history-of-plywood-in-ten-objects

I'm so pumped to start making things on/with the Maslow! dwyl/workshop#71
Once I'm making products using Plywood I want to research and invest directly in Plywood manufacturer. Timeframe: 3-5 years.