photo of wooden objects and forest

Good Wood Guide How and why to use sustainable timber

A photo of a wooden cabinet on wooden floorboards in a living room

Why choose good wood?

We need wood for lots of things, from furniture to floorboards. It's natural and renewable, so it's often a better choice than alternatives like steel or plastics.

But our demand for wood is having a devastating impact on the world's forests. Forests that give us everything from oxygen to medicines – and help combat climate change. 1 in 3 tree species harvested for timber are currently at risk of extinction.

Our Good Wood Guide helps you choose wood from healthy sources, avoid at-risk species and find alternatives to using new timber.

A photo of a wooden cabinet on wooden floorboards in a living room
A tiger stalks through the forest
Malaysian Tiger © Chien C Lee

What about sustainability certification?

Timber certification should reassure us that the wood products we’re buying are from well managed sources. Unfortunately, we do not recommend either of the two main schemes PEFC or FSC.  We only suggest using locally produced FSC timber or wood products as a last resort.

Our report Tainted Timber sets out the failings of the PEFC-endorsed Malaysian timber certification scheme.  We've found wood linked to deforestation, human rights violations and habitat destruction is being labelled and sold as "sustainable.” And UK companies may be importing it.  

 

Read more about our investigation
A tiger stalks through the forest
Malaysian Tiger © Chien C Lee

Before you buy new wood, check the three options below...

About The Good Wood Guide

This is the sixth version of the Good Wood Guide which was first produced in 1987. That shows how long we’ve been working to protect the world’s forests especially in nature-rich hotspots such as tropical and sub-tropical forests.

Previous versions

1987 The Good Wood Guide – A Friends of the Earth Handbook.

1990 The Good Wood Guide: Friends of the Earth Handbook by Counsell, Simon.

1996 by Simon Counsell, Tim Rice, Georgina Green.  Published by Friends of the Earth in partnership with Fauna & Flora International,  through Fenside Waste Management Ltd and The Rufford Foundation.

2002 The Good Wood Guide. Published by Friends of the Earth

2018 onwards - online updates

photo of wood stored in workshop

Guide to wood options

Do you know your ash from your ebony? Your endangered wenge from your English willow? Find the most suitable, sustainable wood options in our helpful A-Z of timber types.

photo of wood stored in workshop

What's so good about trees?

Forests and woodlands aren't just magnificent to look at and walk around in. Trees are crucial for life on Earth – for food, water, air, medicine... as well as reducing climate change.

What's so good about trees?

 

Tree facts: a path through the autumn woods

More trees please

Trees are our biggest natural allies against climate chaos. They remove pollutants from the atmosphere, and help clean the air we breathe.

Yet 30% of tree species are considered threatened, including by over-exploitation, habitat loss, climate change and extreme weather. And just 10% of England is covered in woodland, compared with an EU average of 38%.

That's why we're campaigning to double UK tree cover. We want to encourage tree planting (right trees, right place), but also rewilding  and lots of natural regeneration of our native trees.

Tree cover and areas for new woodlands
Tree facts: a path through the autumn woods

Interested in sustainable living?

Related reading

A large area of land with burnt tree stumps, green forest in the distance
Planet over Profit
End exploitation by big business
Unethical corporations are destroying our planet and trampling on people's rights, all for the sake of profit. Find out why we’re campaigning for a new UK law to make companies accountable for any damage they cause.
Planet over Profit
End exploitation by big business
Unethical corporations are destroying our planet and trampling on people's rights, all for the sake of profit. Find out why we’re campaigning for a new UK law to make companies accountable for any damage they cause.