When it comes to building materials with sustainable credentials, timber has a lot to offer today’s leaner ‘greener’ construction industry.
Whilst this is good news in one respect, the worry now is that as demand continues to increase, specifiers may make the mistake of thinking “all wood is good wood” when, in fact, they could unwittingly be purchasing timber from unsustainable sources as a result of not knowing exactly what to look out for.
The continued use of unsustainable plywood in the UK (manufactured using raw materials originating from threatened rainforests, often from illegal logging) is an example of how the UK construction industry can be blinkered – frequently buying on appearance alone and without checking it is from a responsible source.
The key issues are well explained by a recent report published by Greenpeace. Entitled Alternatives to Unsustainable Plywood in the UK Construction Industry: Setting a New Standard, this document outlines the serious risks surrounding timber imports and argues that the construction industry should verify that all timber purchases are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council or by a trusted certifier.
The main point made by the report is that the market has a choice; there are alternatives available, and so it is crucial that specifiers really do their homework for both the benefit of the task at hand as well as the environment in the long term.
However, today’s climate demands that we all make informed choices, and the timber industry has a collective job to do: to continue to educate the UK construction industry about what to look for when selecting wood panel products, to make sure users know exactly the source of the timber, and to be accountable.
Now is the time for the market to make up its mind.
