Why do we use rubber wood in our toys?

At MURO we absolutely love rubberwood and think that it’s the perfect material to make toys from.

• It’s a surplus waste product from another industry so we don’t take anything from forests.
• It’s a slow growing hardwood so it’s durable and is incredibly tactile, just try and keep your hands off it!
• It has a deep grain and mid-brown colour that we think is beautiful!

Rubberwood is a gorgeous material that’s considered waste by the latex industry which produces large quantities.  It is a slow growing hardwood that is grown for 25-30 years on the latex plantations near our manufacturer in Vietnam, where its sap is harvested for making rubber products we all use.  Being a hardwood, it’s denser and more durable than the cheaper softwoods generally used to make toys.

It has a naturally light brown colour with warm subtle red tones, a deep grain pattern , thanks to the tree's extensive vascular system required to transport its trademark sap, and a density that makes it an incredibly tactile material. This means that the products we create with it are not only beautiful and durable, but irresistibly touchable, to hands of any age!

Traditionally these trees have been burnt after they’ve come to the end of their productive life, but we prefer to upcycle them into toys. Not only does this save other species of trees from the forest but also reduces the carbon emitted into the atmosphere through burning and, most importantly, creates beautiful products that stand the test of time.

We're very proud of the materials we use and the efforts we go to to minimise the impact of MURO on the environment whilst maximising its usefulness.  This is one of the core values MURO is built around and will always be at the heart of everything we do.