Buying locally produced FSC-certified wood products
Why is locally grown timber better?
The closer wood is grown to your home, the less transport is needed to bring it from the forest. So this reduces the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) produced, which is the main cause of climate change. In general, the further the timber travels, the higher the CO2 emissions.
You can see if it's local by checking our A-Z of different types of wood.
We think the best environmental choice is to repair or adapt an existing item, use reclaimed timber or buy locally-grown wood.
If you do need to buy new timber, selecting Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified products will send a message to the timber industry and governments that you don't want timber from destructive logging.
What is FSC certification?
FSC certification sets the strongest available standard for new wood. In many cases it guarantees your timber has been sourced sustainably from well-managed forests.
There have been reports of some FSC certificates failing to guarantee rigorous environmental and social standards.
But if the FSC certification is working as intended it:
- is a globally recognised scheme
- is fully participatory, with transparent and open processes
- uses performance-based standards
- has rigorous, independent assessment process, including stakeholder consultation and on-going monitoring.
How do I know wood is FSC-certified?
All FSC timber carries the FSC logo.
If you can't use locally produced FSC-certified wood, then go for FSC-certified wood from further afield.
