It would be lovely to replace all that plastic with natural products but could we really do that?.. well only by using someone elses wood and shipping it in..

Forestry Commission figures for 2004

Timber Imports

Apparent consumption is the amount of timber (measured as raw wood material equivalent underbark) used as wood and wood products by people and industries in the United Kingdom. It is calculated as total United Kingdom production plus imports, minus exports. This total does not include any allowance for recycled wood and paper that is recovered for use within the United Kingdom, but is reduced by the substantial net exports of recovered paper (see Table 3.3). Apparent consumption also differs from actual consumption by the extent of changes in the level of stocks. It is not practical to collect information on actual consumption.

UK production of roundwood totalled 8.6 million m3 WRME underbark in 2004. A further 52.0 million m3 WRME underbark of wood and wood products were imported to the UK and 15.6 million m3 WRME underbark were exported, giving an apparent consumption of 45.0 million m3 WRME underbark.