Salvage & Sap: Ancient Pine Resin as a Sustainable Design Material

For designers looking for sustainable materials and low-impact production methods, the Salvage & Sap collection by Earth to People offers a fresh perspective. The collection is especially relevant for interior designers, furniture makers, product designers, and architects interested in biobased and circular materials.

Pine Resin: An Ancient Glue for Modern Design

At the core of the collection is pine resin, also known as tree sap. This material has been used for thousands of years as one of the earliest natural glues. Earth to People brings this ancient technique into the present. Their method replaces toxic, synthetic glues with biobased, non-toxic pine sap.

The resin is gathered carefully, by collecting sap that naturally builds up on trees. They avoid cutting or tapping into the trunks, helping the trees stay healthy and continue growing. This approach demonstrates how natural resources can replace petroleum-based adhesives in modern design.

Designing with Salvaged and Reclaimed Materials

Each piece in the collection uses materials that might otherwise go to waste. For example, the Sap Floor Lamp is made from red cedar slabs that fell during storms in British Columbia. The lamp also includes salvaged cedar shingles, stitched together with hand-woven cedar bark cordage, and pine resin as glue.

The team reuses salvaged aluminium for the frame. They air-dry the wood beside the Mamquam Blind Channel, which avoids the energy use of kiln drying. Even the tree’s bark, often discarded in industry, is used to make the cordage. This approach reduces waste and promotes circular design.

The collection also includes the Sap Chair and Sap Side Table. Each piece celebrates the use of natural, salvaged, and non-toxic materials.

A Call to Action for Designers

The Salvage & Sap collection challenges designers to rethink their material choices. It shows that biobased adhesives and reclaimed resources can play a key role in contemporary design. By working with natural cycles and waste materials, Earth to People shows how we can design with respect for the planet.

For interior designers, furniture makers, product developers, and sustainable architects, this collection offers a practical example of what is possible. It invites designers to explore new ideas with old materials, and to see the potential in what might otherwise be discarded.

By reviving ancient techniques, Earth to People encourages us to build a better future, inspired by the wisdom of the past.

Source & photos: Earth to People