Sustainable Forest Management - A Vital Function Of Life On Earth!

Many people take forests for granted but have you ever asked yourself what life would be like without them? The fact is that life as we know it today, whether we live in a metropolis like London, or in the Amazon rainforest, would be impossible without forests.

So, why is that? Well, forests absorb and store carbon dioxide and so help to keep it out of the atmosphere. It is thought that, carbon dioxide and other 'Greenhouse Gases' in the upper atmosphere, trap heat from the sun, causing excessive warming of the earth's surface and destructive climate change.

 A Healthy Forest Provides A Diverse Habitat For Plants & Animals

Forests also play a vital part in the transfer of water from the Earth to the atmosphere, which is known as the 'water cycle'. Trees suck up water from the ground and release it into the atmosphere as water vapour, which then falls as rain.

The trees in forests has many uses including fuel and lumber and can be turned into wood products such as wooden boxes. They also provide shelter and protection against harsh weather, prevent soil erosion and provide diverse habitats for many plants and animals. 

Sustainable forest management preserves forest resources to meet the needs of future generations. Therefore, in sustainable forest management there is always a balance between the demands of the forest's natural resources and the vitality of the forest.

Planting a new sapling for every tree that is felled is the simplest way a forest can be sustained. Proper forest management however, takes into account a variety of diverse factors.

Selective logging, where only certain trees are felled, thus preserving the balance of the forest, is another sustainable forest management method. However, selective logging is time consuming and more expensive than clearing trees but it does preserve the forest's assets more effectively.

Selective Logging

Another example of sustainable forest management is allowing young trees time to mature. Young trees may have an intrinsic value, but this will inevitably increase as the tree matures.

Tree planting can increase the size of the forest and provide protected habitats for a wide variety of plant and animal species. 

It can be seen that forests provide a vital function in helping life on earth survive and prosper. It is therefore imperative that they are protected through sustainable forest management methods.

Polmac (UK) Ltd obtains wood and wood based products, used to manufacture it's customized, wood presentation boxes, display boxes and gift boxes from managed and sustainable forests, in order to  protect the environment for future generations.

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The Mighty Oak - The Essence Of England!

Oak is the common name for many acorn producing trees and the species is divided into two basic varieties - red and white oak. Throughout the world there are more than 600 varieties and they grow in the Northern Hemisphere in China, Japan, Europe and North America, except in Alaska.

Mature English Oak Tree

Historically, oaks have been revered by many civilizations, including the ancient Greeks and Romans. In Britain oak has a long association and is buried deep in the national psyche.

The Druids for instance thought that oak had medicinal and mystical properties and for centuries, an oak sprig was inscribed on English coins. It is thought that King Arthur's famous round table was made from a slice of one ancient oak tree. Oak was also used to build the ships that defeated the Spanish Armada and the French fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Oak trees have an average age of between 200 and 400 years. However, there are oaks that are more than 800 years old and these were often used for important meetings and ceremonies. They were also used as property boundary markers because the wood is so tough, it endures for generations.

Oak Presentation Box With Metal Clasp

There are many famous old Oak trees in England, including the major Oak in Sherwood Forest. Oak has many uses and today it is best known in the furniture and building industries. 

Polmac (UK) Ltd uses oak to manufacture customized, wood presentation boxes, where specified. Oak is a very hard, dense and tough material and therefore specialist woodworking skills are needed to ensure the highest quality oak wood boxes are produced, every time. 

Oak also has a warm and rich colour, with a striking grain character, which means that the extra effort needed to produce the finest oak wooden boxes is well worth it.

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Electro-Plating Ironmongery For Wood Display Boxes - How The Magic Works!

In fairy tales, wizards use alchemy to turn ordinary objects into gold and silver. Alchemy is of course a fantasy but using specialized, modern day, electro-plating techniques is perhaps the next best thing. 

By coating a base metal with a more appealing (and expensive) metal we can quickly and easily transform the appearance of the base metal into something special and magical. 

Polmac (UK) Ltd uses ironmongery (caches, hinges, stays etc), with a brass, or nickel plated finish on our customized, wooden display boxes. This enhances the appearance of the ironmongery and wood boxes, by providing a highly polished finish that looks much like gold and silver.

Brass or nickel plated finishes are also long-lasting, economical and provide excellent rust and wear resistance. Other more specialized, metal plated finishes, such as bronze and copper can also be provided if specified, although these tend to be more expensive.

Polmac Electro-Plated Ironmongery

Metal finishes by their nature have a tendency to oxidize and will tarnish over time but using a proprietary metal cleaner when required, will soon bring back that original shine and sparkle.

In electroplating, two 'electrodes' are placed in a special solution called an 'electrolyte'. The electrodes are then connected in a circuit to a power supply, such as a battery and an electric current is passed through the electrolyte.

When the electricity is switched on, it flows through the circuit and some of the metal atoms are released through the electrolyte. These are then deposited as a thin layer onto one of the electrodes, which then becomes 'electroplated'.

The longer this electro-plating process continues, the more metal is deposited on the electrode. Adhering to strict quality standards ensures that the right thickness of metal is deposited on the ironmongery, every time.

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Coins, Collectibles & Wooden Display Boxes

Coin collecting is described as collecting coins or other forms of legal tender. However, coin collecting is different from 'numismatics' which is concerned with the study of currency, which can include paper currency.

Coin collecting and numismatics are similar but there are differences. A person interested in numismatics for instance, may or may not collect coins and vice versa.

Since the time coins were first minted, people have collected coins, mainly for their bullion value and there are many examples of ancient coin hoards being discovered by people with metal detectors, buried in ceramic jars or wooden chests.

However, collecting coins for their artistic or commemorative value was something that developed much later.

Commemorative medallions, presented as awards for sporting, academic and other achievements are also a feature of collecting today.

For example, after the recent One Day International (ODI) cricket series between England and New Zealand (which incidentally England won), all the players and officials were presented with commemorative medallions.

Wood Single-Tier Coin Box

Collectors are always interested in limited edition coins, coins minted with flaws and especially coins that have aesthetic qualities, or some sort of historical significance, because they are the most valuable.

In ancient Rome and Mesopotamia, evidence has emerged suggesting that coins were collected and systematically catalogued by their national treasuries.

Individual citizens who could afford to do so probably also collected old and exotic coins, as a sort of portable art, to impress their friends and acquaintances.

It is thought that in the first century AD, the Roman emperor Augustus liked to give his friends and officials old and exotic coins, during special events.

Coins that have a value, whether intrinsic or actual are often kept in special boxes for cataloguing, accessibility and protection purposes. Commemorative medallions as awards, often come in individually designed boxes.

Wood Display Box With Single Medallion & Ribbon

Polmac (UK) Ltd are specialist suppliers of customized, single and multi-tier, wooden coin boxes and wood boxes for other collectibles and memorabilia, including military collectibles and gifts. They're beautifully made, versatile and terrific value, making them ideal for the purpose!

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Beech: Beautiful, Hard Wearing & Robust!

The common Beech with it's typically broad, dome-shaped canopy, is a large, deciduous tree which grows throughout western and central Europe and can grow to heights of between 25 - 30m.

The Common Beech

The Beech tree can grow for up to 400 years and is often found on drier, free-draining soils, such as chalk and limestone.

Beech is popular because it is a hard wearing, dense wood with a warm colour and good grain character. It has many uses including cooking utensils, flooring, furniture, tool handles, sports equipment and wooden display boxes.

Beech is traditionally used to smoke herring because the wood burns well and provides an enticing aromatic infusion. In some European countries, the edible nuts, or 'masts', were once used as a feed for pigs and are still sometimes used to make a coffee substitute, after roasting.

Polmac Beech Cheese Safe For: Harrods Ltd

The bark contains an aromatic substance that can improve the taste of beer and the leaves are used in the manufacture of gin, adding colour and sweetness.

The leaves and bark also contain pigments that are used to dye fabrics. Fresh beech leaves can even be eaten as a salad and some countries use them to stuff pillows, if down is unavailable.

In Celtic mythology, the Beech was believed to have certain medicinal properties. Beech leaves for example, were used to relieve swellings and other ailments.

Polmac (UK) Ltd uses Beech to manufacture customised wooden boxes, where a more robust and hard wearing material is required. Our customised boxes are beautifully made, versatile and terrific value and are designed to boost bottom-line sales!

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Chocolate Boxes & The Science Of Dating!

According to new research in America, showing up on a first date with a box of chocolates may not be as 'cringe worthy' as it first appears.

American scientists have found that consuming something sweet like chocolate, can increase levels of attraction and sub-consciously, may also encourage feelings of 'desire'.

So, offering a box of chocolates on a first date may be an excellent strategy for someone, if he wishes to charm his date.

It seems that the same brain processes that underpin the taste for sweet things also underpin feelings of love, which may explain why we often crave both.

This means that a simple box of chocolates could bring a chap 'sweet success'. The tricky part though, is persuading the lady to get stuck in immediately, without making it obvious what you're up to.

The Spaniards learned about chocolate from the Aztecs and brought it to Europe. It was introduced into England in about 1657.

Not long afterwards, individual chocolates were being made and sold in boxes, with pictures on the front to make the entire presentation more appealing.

Ever since, chocolate box designs have included everything from 18th century classical elegance, to the latest modern art.

Today, there is a vast range of chocolate box designs, catering for the finest Belgian chocolates to the more economical varieties.

Most chocolate boxes are now made from cardboard and modern synthetic materials. However, when something special and unique is called for, they are also made from sheet metal and wood.

Polmac (UK) Ltd specialises in supplying customized, wood presentation boxes, including chocolate boxes, where specified.

Polmac Colour Stained Chocolate Boxes For: Lindt

Polmac wooden boxes are supplied with beautiful, food compatible, colour, or natural wood stains and stunning, internal fabric linings. They can also be overprinted with a logo, or text, if a more personalised, branded finish is required.

All Polmac wood chocolate boxes are beautifully made, versatile and terrific value and are designed to transform your products into exquisite gift sets that your customers will find irresistible.

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Aromatherapy Practitioner Cases: A Practical Solution To Home Visits!

If you're trying to find a good aromatherapy practitioner, probably the best way is through referrals from your healthcare provider, family, colleagues, and/or friends.

However, when choosing a practitioner, it's important to consider their education, training, experience and their philosophy of care. Ultimately, you'll need to choose someone you can trust, feel safe with and who feels 'right' for you.

Polmac (UK) Ltd 2-Tier Aromatherapy Practitioner Cases

Many aromatherapy practitioners will operate from a clinic, a doctor's surgery and even their place of work. They may also work from home and provide home visits.

If they provide home visits, they will certainly bring their aromatherapy materials with them and will usually have a dedicated, aromatherapy carrying case. These are sometimes called aromatherapy practitioner cases.

The contents of a practitioner case will of course vary from practitioner to practitioner but will always include the two main aromatherapy ingredients - essential oils and carrier oils.

Essential oils are obtained from plants and are used for such things as reducing stress, increasing focus, soothing muscles, purifying the body, supporting the immune system and providing emotional balance.

Essential oils are applied to the skin in what aromatherapists call a 'carrier oil. This comes from the seeds, kernels or nuts, that comprise the fatty part of the plant.

Essential oils can cause severe irritation or reactions, if applied directly to the skin undiluted. Carrier oils are therefore used to dilute the essential oil before being applied. The carrier oil used will depend on the therapeutic benefits being sought.

Essential oils typically come in 5ml and 10ml bottles, although other sizes are available. Carrier oil bottles are usually much bigger and start at 50ml and 100ml.

Aside from essential oils and carrier oils, practitioner cases will include other accessories such as pipettes, massagers and mixing bowls, depending upon the individual practitioner concerned.

Aromatherapy practitioners will also provide information leaflets as well as cd's explaining the characteristics of essential oils and the procedures used.

Polmac (UK) Ltd supplies single and 2-tier, customized, wood, aromatherapy practitioner cases to many established aromatherapy suppliers. They're beautifully made, versatile and terrific value, which means they are designed to suit every practitioners' needs.

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