A guide to good wood: Make sure your timber is eco-friendly

Timber

Kate Simmons — Wood is racing back into fashion in homes across the country; but in tough economic times, consumers are facing a hard choice between the economy and the ethics of wood. People are more aware than ever about the devastating effect that deforestation is having on our planet, but are often confused about how to translate that concern into ethical consumer choices. In our globalised world, it is not just deforestation we need to worry about when buying wood. Timber is a lucrative business and the wood you buy could be unwittingly financing illegal logging rings, states that abuse human rights, or big corporations that force indigenous peoples from their homes. Now more than ever, it is important that you consider the implications of the wood you buy.

Here is a no-nonsense, straightforward guide to choosing wood for your home decor projects that is greener, more ethical and better for the earth as a whole. By considering just a few factors, it is easy to figure out not only what wood is right for your needs but also what wood is right for the needs of the planet.

1. Check the country of origin

One of the best indicators of the eco-friendly factor of a wood is its country of origin. Simply put, certain countries are well-known for flagrantly ignoring recommendations on sustainable forests and wood sourced from said countries is more likely to have been logged in an unmanaged way. Some countries are also more likely than others to be felling their ancient forests for wood as opposed to growing new trees in a sustainable fashion.

Which countries to avoid largely depends on what kind of wood you are buying; for example, Ash from France is more likely to be eco-friendly than Oak from France. The Independent has created a comprehensive wood-by-wood list which you can examine here.

2. Check which certification

There are several types of timber certification available, all with different levels of stringency. This is extremely confusing for consumers as they may buy wood ‘stamped’ by a forestry council in good faith that it is eco-friendly, when in reality the benchmarks for the certification are too low.

Wise up when it comes to wood certification and only go for wood that is decreed eco-friendly by the highest authorities. Most green campaigners recommend sourcing wood which has been stamped by Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC), which by far maintains the most rigorous standards when it comes to ethical timber. Because FSC are also the most well-known forestry council, most wood suppliers and DIY stores should be able to help if you ask them specifically for FSC-stamped wood.

3. Go local

While it is far from certain that wood logged near to you has been felled sustainably, generally speaking, it is easier to ascertain if local wood is eco-friendly. By going directly to the source, you can find out for yourself if the wood has been managed in accordance with industry standards. Even better, wood that has not travelled far usually has a smaller carbon footprint than wood that has traversed the globe.

4. Choose your wood-type carefully

Certain types of wood are simply more likely to have been badly sourced because they come from endangered trees or are most common in countries with poor industry standards. For example, it is hard to come by teak which has been sourced ethically simply because the country where most of the worlds remaining teak lies is Burma. By avoiding wood from endangered trees or suspect countries, you are doing the earth and its people a massive favour.

In short, whether you are buying timber to make wooden shelves or wooden signs, it is important to ascertain if you can purchase it in good conscience. If more people sit up and take notice of deforestation, they can put their money where their morals are and force companies to change their ways through purchasing power. If you do not buy ‘bad’ timber, you make it harder and less profitable for people to source it unethically.



About the Author

This is a guest post by Kate Simmons, an occasional guest-blogger mainly interested in green-related topics around your home – make sure you check out her other articles if you’re interested in renewable energy and other green subjects.