Sustainable Timber

Wood is a natural, renewable, and biodegradable– in theory it’s the most sustainable of resources. But much of the wood that we buy is imported from parts of the world where forests are being cut down unsustainably. Even where countries have laws to protect their forests much of the wood exported has been illegally felled. Friends of the Earth estimates that around 60% of the UK ’s tropical wood has been illegally sourced, whilst much of the legally exported wood is not from sustainably managed forests.

If you are buying new wood look out for the symbol of the Forest Stewardship Council on wood products. The FSC is a non-profit organization devoted to encouraging the responsible management of the world's forests that provides a labelling scheme for sustainable wood.

Timber recycling is also available from Manchester-based company TriM and social enterprise RTN where you can take any waste timber you have and buy reclaimed timber products.