I'm so old I Remember when:

[Nomadicus]

Although plastics fed me and paid for our land. Dad worked injection molding and hubby blown film. Doesn't do this anymore. I wonder what it does to the people's health in factories. I've been inside during operation many times. The smell is strong.

I was in one once and that was enough.

 

[R2elk]

Although plastics fed me and paid for our land. Dad worked injection molding and hubby blown film. Doesn't do this anymore. I wonder what it does to the people's health in factories. I've been inside during operation many times. The smell is strong.

Burning paper, wood, etc. produces far less toxic gases than burning plastic.

 

[NanaK]

When you work in plastic extrusion you come home with the strong smell of the resins in your clothes. I'll never forget the smell. Same with Dad when I was a child. Dad is in heaven now. After 30 years, hubby is in another profession. Hope I never smell it again.

As for fast growing trees, loblolly pines are everywhere here. All over our property, many tree farms in the area. We are always getting calls or cards in the mail with folks wanting to log our trees. I love our trees. If they are ever logged, it will be when my grandson inherits this property.

 

[troyer]

I got this....
@troyer
Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!
View attachment 3703256

I appreciate your help, but I'll leave it the way it is for now.

 

[Nomadicus]

All around me we have long leaf pine. I see truck after truck load some days. One day I will ask just what all they are used for.

I remember when pine stumps where use in making gunpowder.... in central FL there was a place we drove by where they got loaded onto railroad cars and shipped out. To where I don't know. What kind of gun powder I don't know. As kids we were just told for gun powder. The tree tops made treated poles for phone and electric lines to run on then.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

All around me we have long leaf pine. I see truck after truck load some days. One day I will ask just what all they are used for.

I remember when pine stumps where use in making gunpowder.... in central FL there was a place we drove by where they got loaded onto railroad cars and shipped out. To where I don't know. What kind of gun powder I don't know. As kids we were just told for gun powder. The tree tops made treated poles for phone and electric lines to run on then.

Lumber for houses? Furniture? Pencils? Toothpicks?

 

[Nomadicus]

Lumber for houses? Furniture? Pencils? Toothpicks?

To knotty for lumber. Knotty pine walling maybe. Wrong types for pencils. Don't know about toothpicks. Aren't some toothpicks made from bamboo? Which is an actual grass.

 

[jxp]

This is right now in our backyar yard

This is right now in our backyard.View attachment 3703072

Lovely yard.

 

[tripletfeb]

Winco and Aldi both offer paper. Only matters to people with Winco or Aldi's near to them though.

And Aldi got fancy and started putting handles on their bags!

 

[NanaK]

Colonial NC was all about pine trees. Not only for building materials, but for tar, pitch and turpentine and ships mast. They logged so heavily back in the day it's rare to see large native long leaf pine stands here. They also took out lots of old growth Juniper, Cedar, Popular.

Long leaf pine needles make excellent mulch for flowers and trees. Mats together nicely, looks good, stops weeds, holds in moisture.

Now almost all you see here are loblolly. They are planted on tree farms. They reseed everywhere. They grow fast. Keeping branches trimmed helps stop so many knots. They do several cuts as they grow.