Craftsman uses banana bark in his ecofriendly work<\/p>\n
Asip A. Hasani, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
Craftsman Hangno is no environmentalist, though he felt
\nconcerned about environmental damage and widespread illegal
\nlogging in the country.<\/p>\n
His small wooden handicrafts workshop uses less than three
\ncubic meters of wood a month. But he was not able to chase away
\nhis concerned feelings until recently, when a friend told him he
\ncould use the bark from banana trees as a unique surface for his
\nwooden crafts.<\/p>\n
Wooden handicraft and furniture producers usually use teakwood
\nbecause of its beautiful texture and lasting usage.<\/p>\n
\"With banana tree bark covering my wooden handicrafts, I no
\nlonger have to use expensive teakwood or other wood from tropical
\nforests in Kalimantan as the main material for my products,\"
\nHangno said.<\/p>\n
Now, he uses ordinary wood locally called kayu kampung or
\nkampong wood, which is easily found anywhere, including in his
\nneighborhood -- like jackfruit or durian trees, to create
\nhandicraft items like tissue boxes, pen holders, cardholders,
\njewelry boxes and photo frames.<\/p>\n
Kampung wood is abundant and cheap.<\/p>\n
Hangno said he bought kampong wood at only Rp 150,000 per
\ncubic meter, much cheaper than the price of teakwood, which costs
\nRp 400,000 per cubic meter.<\/p>\n
Since almost all kinds of kampong wood do not have a beautiful
\nsurface or texture, banana tree bark becomes useful as it creates
\nunique patterns on its surface.<\/p>\n
\"The surface of banana tree bark is unique. In a way, it looks
\nlike a batik motif,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The bark of banana trees is virtually useless, even though it
\ncan be easily found almost anywhere. In the past, villagers
\nsimply used it to tie their vegetables together, cropping them
\njust before selling them to traditional markets.<\/p>\n
For his handicraft work, Hangno needs the outer layer of the
\nbanana tree's bark. He usually buys dried banana bark from
\nvillagers in Bantul and Sleman regencies at Rp 200 per meter.<\/p>\n
After being polished, the dried banana bark is then glued on
\nthe surface of his wooden handicrafts.<\/p>\n
By using this method, Hangno makes his craftwork beautiful and
\naffordable.<\/p>\n
At the local market he offers a banana bark covered tissue box
\nat Rp 35,000 while the teakwood one costs Rp 75,000 each.<\/p>\n
Although he only began practicing the method half a year ago,
\nhis participation at the recent national exhibition of Indonesian
\nhandicrafts in Jakarta got him two orders from buyers in the
\nUnited States and Europe. In July this year, the first shipment
\nof tissue boxes to the United States should be completed.<\/p>\n
The use of banana tree bark also marks Hangno's creative
\nsearch for natural materials that people find useless but can be
\nturned into something else. He also produces necklaces, rings,
\nbracelets, earrings and other ornaments out of coconut shells.<\/p>\n
Hangno expressed optimism that more people will become aware
\nof the need to protect the environment by choosing to buy
\nhandicrafts made only from environmentally friendly materials.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/craftsman-uses-banana-bark-in-his-ecofriendly-work-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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