sustainable and harmless raw materials

Chestnut Tannin

Nicknamed the ‘bread tree’ the Castanes sativa nuts have been a primary source of food for centuries.

The wood is rich in tannin (9% by weight).

Chestnut trees are not clear cut and killed. Coppicing techniques harvest mature wood, making room for subsequent stronger regrowth.

Harvest rates lower than 10% are kept below forest regenerative limits and are infinitely sustainable.

A regional resource

Silvateam utilizes 130,000 tons of wood per year for the production of tannins. Harvest rates are lower than 10% of the vegetative growth of the forest, limits which are infinitely sustainable. 80% of the wood is harvested within 43 miles (70 kilometers) of the company’s main facility, based in Piedmont (Northern Italy). The remainder comes from other parts of Italy and, in minor quantity (3%), from France.

A rapid growing, long lived resource

Coppicing techniques to harvest mature wood are employed (regenerative practices), thus making room for subsequent stronger regrowth of chestnut trees. In a coppiced forest – called a Copse- harvestable trees are cut. After cutting, the tree regrows vigorously with new shoots that sprout from the coppiced trunk base called a stool. 3-4 of them grow into proper trees. The coppice regeneration cycle of an actively managed chestnut forest averages 20 to 25 years and can be sustained for the life of the tree; often for centuries.

what’s the difference?

Coppicing vs clear cutting

Coppiced forests, when managed correctly, continuously rejuvenate. Unlike typical logging practices where entire forests are clear cut, coppicing retains a uniform coverage of the soil, maintains vital and developing root systems and avoids the overturning and destruction of old trees. This means, unlike clear cut lands, soils in coppiced forests are not disturbed and left prone to erosion. Coppicing doesn’t change the presence of chestnut in the forest- the balance essential to any robust ecosystem is unaffected. All chestnut wood used in Ecotan formulations come from managed forests that adhere to strict local forestry and environmental regulations.

Promoting mountain economies

The production of tannin is part of the culture of many mountain communities of northern and central Italy. Traditionally called bread tree, chestnut has been an important source of food for centuries. Today its wood is a source of income for local economies- it is used as fuel, as a choice wood for the furniture industry and, of course, as a source for tannin.