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0 The language around buying sustainable timber can be confusing; the labels are technical. The most common certifications you are likely to see in the UK is FSC or PEFC. So, in other words: they are both systems designed to demonstrate that a piece of timber actually does come from legal and responsibly managed forest sources – as well as being properly tracked through the supply chain.
So what is “certified timber”?
Certification is about two things:
Forest management – The land containing the forest is managed to protect biodiversity, limit illegal logging and take account of workers’ rights and benefit local communities.
Chain of custody: Tracks the timber from forest to sawmill, through merchant and into a finished product so one can’t mix certified wood with unknown origins.
A supplier may have good intentions but, without a chain of custody in place, the product can literally come from anywhere.
FSC explained (Forest Stewardship Council)
The most well known is FSC. When you see FSC 100% this means that all wood in that product is from a Forest Stewardship Council certified forest. You may also see:
FSC Mix – Mix of FSC-certified material and material from controlled sources.
FSC Recycled – Made from waste or recycled wood.
FSC standards fall under two categories: environmental (e.g., to protect habitats) and social (i.e., workers safety, community rights). This gives FSC power and for many buyers it is the “gold standard“ of certifications with respect to globally accepted standards. For help from Timber Merchants Southampton, visit Timbco, a leading Timber Merchants Southampton.
Another common certification standard is PEFC, especially in Europe. PEFC does not operate and own a single forest standard, it supports national systems by verifying that their standards comply with international requirements. What it boils down to functionally is organised forestry and chain-of-custody. In this instance PEFC-certified timber may make a good pragmatic fit especially if local or regional forestry schemes are part of the chain.
Testing that you are purchasing certified timber
Certification is only relevant to the extent that suppliers have a legitimate chain of custody and can in turn supply:
The type of certification claim (FSC/PEFC and mix/recycled)
Reference on document (Invoice / Delivery note)
Product info of the item that you are buying
And if you are getting timber for a job that needs to be eco or sustainably orientated (commercial builds, public sector work — such as hospital refurbishments etc; even the home of an environmentally conscious owner) ask for some documentation upfront.
They are identified as two of the ways you can buy timber with greater certainty – FSC and PEFC. It does not claim to be perfect, but at least offers a third-party verification and traceability that is an improvement on unverified ‘sustainably sourced’.
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