Leaf Tree’s inventor is building a custom router milling machine for us to make our Leaf Tree Trunks out of wood instead of plastic

The first round of Leaf Tree prototypes had Trunks with PVC cores. Our goal is to establish a fully transparent supply chain: be able to map where all of Leaf Tree’s materials came from and how they were made, as far back into the supply chain as we can manage. We originally went with PVC because it came in a standard size and we could get it domestically with Charlotte Pipe just one state away. 

However, another goal we have is for Leaf Tree to be as friendly as possible for consumer repairs, and when it comes to cat trees, the most common challenge is the rope loosening or tearing. We want users to be able to easily replace and rewind the rope, and one thing that would facilitate that would be grooves for the rope to sit in. We didn’t want to make a ludicrous amount of plastic particles, so the inventor made the first mockup out of a hollow assembly of wooden boards.

Making the switch to wooden cores is a fast-approaching accomplishment for the first consumer version of the product! We will be able to source rough cut lumber from local lumber yards, avoid the environmental and community harms associated with PVC production, and offer a truly 100% plastic-free cat tree!