A pledge that all windows made by its accreditation scheme members will be produced from sustainable resources by 2004 has been made by the British Woodworking Federation (BWF).
All timber used will be obtained from independently certified sources approved by bodies such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or the Pan European Forest Certification (PEFC) Council.
The declaration is part of BWF’s drive to prove timber is the best environmental choice for windows.
Window manufacturers Howarth Windows and Doors and Bennett Windows have lent their support and the BWF is confident the remainder of its accreditation scheme members will follow suit.
BWF director Kevin Cubbage said the industry recognised the need to be ‘environmentally friendly’ and maintained the number of sustainable timber windows produced was already significant.
He said: ‘It is only about five years since environmental groups were against timber windows because they were made from timber. Timber meant you had to chop trees down. But now Greenpeace prefers timber for window manufacture, as long as it comes from properly managed forests.’
The BWF pledge comes hot on the heels of a government report (TTJ April 7) which showed timber windows were less harmful to the environment than PVCu.
