Welcome To Red Orchard Shavings
Red Orchard Shavings has been a leading provider of high-quality wood shavings to agricultural, animal, and pet industries since 2018.
Excellence in Wood Shavings
Proud producer and supplier of top-quality Pinewood Shavings for both local and international markets.
Why Pinewood for Shavings
At Red Orchards Shavings, we only use pure Pine in our manufacturing process for a variety of reasons that are unique to all our customers. We have consulted with various industry experts and numerous users of Pinewood Shavings ensuring what we only provide Shavings that is fit for purpose and of the highest quality.
What are our Pine Shavings Used For
Animal Bedding
Red Orchards’ Pinewood Shavings is considered the most affective sustainable Animal Bedding due to its unique characteristics. Here are some of the characteristics from the Pinewood Shavings we produce:
Absorbent
Our Shavings are highly absorbent, making it ideal for Animal Bedding as it can soak up moisture and odours quickly.
Dust-Free
Our Shavings are free from dust and other allergens, making it a safe option for Animals with respiratory sensitivities.
Biodegradable
Our Shavings are a natural and biodegradable, making it an environmentally friendly choice for Animal Bedding.
Pest Repellent
Our Shavings contains natural oils that act as a repellent, helping to keep Animals healthy and free from infestations.
Allergies
Various studies and years of proven results has found that most Animals are less likely to be allergic to Our Shavings compared to Shavings from other Wood types.
Preventative Measures
Our Shavings help to prevent the development of certain conditions from prolonged contact with hard or wet surfaces. Our Shavings provide a soft and dry surface to assist in preventing these conditions and improve the overall welfare of animals.
Odour Control
Our Shavings has natural odour-controlling properties that helps to keep the Animal Bedding smelling fresh and clean.
Soft Texture
Our Shavings are soft and comfortable for Animals, providing a cozy and comfortable sleeping area.
Cost-Effective
Our Shavings are affordable, making them cost-effective and ideal option for Animal Bedding.
Various Other Uses
Although the main use of our Shavings all over the world is for Animal Bedding, there are various other affective uses for it as well:
Plant Growing Medium
Our Shavings are used as an effective growing medium that supports healthy plant growth due to its excellent drainage and aeration properties, slightly acidic pH balance, and ability to retain moisture. In addition, they are sustainable, cost-effective, lightweight, porous, biodegradable, natural, and resistant to pests and diseases.
Mulch
Our Shavings are used as a natural mulch to retain moisture, suppress weeds, regulate soil temperature, and improve soil health on farms and garden beds.
Absorbent Material
Our Shavings are highly absorbent and can be used to soak up spills or accidents in a variety of settings, such as workshops, garages, or pet areas. The shavings help contain and clean up liquids quickly and efficiently.
Compost Material
Our Shavings can be added to a compost pile to help balance the carbon to nitrogen ratio and speed up the decomposition process. They can also help improve aeration and moisture retention in the compost pile.
Packing Material
Our Shavings are used as a natural packing material to cushion fragile items during shipping or storage. The shavings provide a lightweight and biodegradable alternative to plastic or foam packaging materials.
Odor Control
Our Shavings have a natural pine scent that helps to mask odours in various settings, such as litter boxes, trash cans, or compost bins. The shavings absorb moisture and control odours effectively.
Craft Material
Our Shavings are used in a variety of crafts and DIY projects, such as filling decorative jars, creating textured art pieces, or making homemade potpourri. The natural scent of pine adds a pleasant aroma to crafted items.
Fire Starter
Our Shavings are highly flammable and are used as a natural fire starter for campfires, fireplaces, and wood stoves. They can easily be ignited with a match or lighter, making them a convenient and eco-friendly option for starting fires.
Where we get our Pinewood from
We as Red Orchard Shavings proud ourselves that we only source our Pinewood from Forestry’s that are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international non-profit, multi-stakeholder organisation established in 1993 to promote responsible management of the world’s Forests – In essence this means that the Trees was grown by the respective Forestry’s on a sustainable basis that puts both Forest and People first. More on this certification can be found on the official FSC website.
We’re proud to confirm that the raw products we use to manufacture and supply Pinewood Shavings, all carries the FSC label and certification. Use of the FSC logo is intended to signify that the product comes from responsible sources, environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable.
How we produce Wood Shavings
Debarking Process
As soon as the Pinewood Logs arrive at our Factory from the Forestry's, they undergo a debarking process. This process varies for each batch of Wood depending on the amount and thickness of the bark to ensure the safety, hygiene, comfort, and absorbency of the bedding material. This results in a better environment for animals;
Safety
The bark of the Pinewood may contain sharp edges or splinters that can be harmful to animals if ingested or if they come in contact with their skin. Removing the bark reduces the risk of injury to animals using the bedding.
Hygiene
Bark can harbour pests, moulds, and bacteria that can be harmful to animals. Removing the bark helps to reduce the risk of contamination and infection in the bedding material.
Comfort
Wood Shavings without bark are softer and more comfortable for Animals to nest in or burrow into. Removing the bark creates a more suitable and comfortable Bedding material for Animals.
Absorbency
Wood Shavings without bark have better absorbency properties, making them more effective at soaking up moisture and odours in Animal Bedding. Removing the bark helps to improve the overall performance of the Bedding material.
Shaving Process
The debarked Pinewood Logs are fed into our many Wood Shaving machines, each equipped with hundreds of small blades that shave the Wood to create those perfect Shavings. These Shavings then fall onto a conveyor system, transporting them to the next stage of the production process.
Drying Process
The Shavings are automatically fed from the conveyors into a large dryer system to remove excess moisture and extract any possible dust that was created by the Shaving process. Drying and removing dust from the Shavings helps reduce the potential for respiratory issues in Animals and creates a cleaner and more comfortable environment for them. Dried Shavings are also less likely to stick together and can absorb moisture more effectively, keeping the Bedding dry and odour-free for a longer period of time.
The dryer is heated by means of natural gas received from underground gas lines supplied by Sasol (South Africa’s leading natural gas supplier). This energy source used for heating is not just more effective and efficient, most importantly it has the least impact on the environment.
Once the drying is complete and all dust removed, the Shavings are automatically transported by another conveyor system for bagging.
Bagging Process
Our Wood Shavings are bagged into various standard packaging options as preferred by our Clients before they are moved to the distribution. The bagging process ensures the overall quality of our Wood Shavings are maintained and preserved before being distributed
Quality Control: Bagging ensures that Wood Shavings are packaged accurately and consistently, maintaining the quality by preventing any contamination after a diligent drying and cleaning process.
Packaging: Bagging helps to protect the Wood Shavings from moisture and damage during transportation and storage.
Convenience: The correct bagging makes the handling and transport of Wood Shavings much easier.
How we Distribute
The distribution of our Pinewood Shavings is a pivotal part of our overall service delivery. We have created a proven and superior product at just the right price, allowing us to focus on both the local South African and International markets – Delivering this product timeously without compromising its quality is of utmost importance to us.
Many of our clients from South Africa and neighbouring countries prefer collecting directly from our factory warehouse, whether it is a few bags on a small delivery vehicle or a super-link truck filled with thousands of bags.
However, we pride ourselves on having our own delivery fleet to supply our clients across South Africa. We have also built relationships with trustworthy logistics companies to deliver our shavings throughout the African continent and across the globe.
Our Guarantees
Lab Tested
Animals can be very sensitive to toxins and contaminants in their environment, so it is important to make sure that the Bedding they are in contact with is safe for them. This can only be achieved by lab testing the Pine Shavings to ensure they are free from harmful chemicals, pesticides, and pathogens. Lab testing can also confirm that the Wood Shavings are of high quality and will provide effective absorption and insulation for animals. We as Red Orchards Shavings ensure for the frequent lab testing of all our Wood Shavings. This is required for the detection or confirmation of known bacteria and mould that could affect the health and well-being of our Client’s animals. Based on our Client requirements, we do lab test our Pine Shavings accordingly once a week or as seemed necessary – These certificates and/or lab results are available anytime on request.
We at Red Orchards Shavings take the frequent lab testing of our Wood Shavings very seriously. This is essential for identifying any harmful bacteria or mould fungi such as Salmonella or Aspergillus that could potentially harm our Clients’ animals. We conduct lab tests on our Pine Shavings on a weekly basis or as needed by an accredited laboratory in South Africa – Lab results can be easily accessed upon request at any time.
Consistency & Quality
It is extremely important to note that none of the Wood that we use in our Shaving’s manufacturing process is by any means a Wood by-product from a lumber mill or wood factory. Furthermore, we continuously check our Shavings throughout each step the manufacturing process ensuring our strict standards are maintained for our Clients.
This is the only way we as Red Orchard Shavings can guarantee that
- Our Wood is sourced from only certified Sustainable Forestry’s,
- Our Shaving are only manufactured from Pinewood with no other wood types,
- Our Shaving contains no unwanted material such as nails or screws,
- Our Shavings contains no chemicals or oils,
- Our shavings are of the same consistent quality all year round, and
- The Customer get exactly what they paid for.
