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Customers enquire about the sustainability of the timber used within Brindley Timberworks, and really care that it is ethically sourced. But what does this really mean?
Timber is a primary construction material, and over 100 years ago there was little awareness of the impact that the use of timber could have on forest ecosystems and the environment.
The Programme for the Endorsement of Forestry Certification (PEFC) and Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) were formed in the 1900s aimed at addressing the escalating rate of indiscriminate forestry practices. Both the PEFC and FSC are world recognised schemes, assisting in maintaining and regulating sustainable forestry management.
Although both accredited schemes, the FSC focuses more towards individual landowners, whereas the PEFC provides group certification for regional areas.
Both bodies work to actively promote the use of management, planning and sustainable logging to achieve more sustainable forestry practices.
Certification of these schemes is not taken lightly, and involves a rigorous application and assessment. This starts with a public consultation, an independent evaluation and assessments by expert panels. A multitude of factors must be met before the timber from these forests can bare the PEFC or FSC symbol. To add to that, certifications must be renewed every 5 years. This ensures they are kept to a high standard, and are still working towards protecting the natural environment.
In the forest, sustainable management means that for every tree felled, several saplings are planted. This makes timber a much more renewable resource, and actively helps remove the carbon dioxide let out by the felled tree from the atmosphere, making timber a naturally renewable resource. By planting multiple trees, not only is the carbon from the felled tree captured, but they create a natural habitat for animals and the local ecosystem. These schemes show clear results, forests that were once shrinking have seen recent expansions over the past decades.
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