What is an FSC Certified Flooring?

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a highly influential non-profit system established to promote responsible management of the world’s forests.

With the growing awareness of global deforestation, FSC concerns itself with the destruction and degradation of forests, whilst maintaining its biodiversity and ecological sustainability for present and future generations to enjoy.

When you purchase FSC certificated wood flooring, it signifies that the product come from appropriately managed forests that are socially beneficial, environmentally conscious, and economically viable.

All parties involved in the chain of production (forest owner, farmer, manufacturer and seller) embrace the FSC principles and ethics.

Regular and consistent checks are conducted to ensure that these values and ideals governing FSC certification are upheld. Endorsed by some prominent environmental charities like Greenpeace, WWF and The Woodland Trust, FSC is represented in more than 50 countries around the world.

Directly or indirectly, FSC addresses issues related to deforestation, illegal logging and global warming, and ensures that:

• the timber used for the flooring and other wood products is replaced
• the timber is tracked from well managed and well-protected forest, through to the seller to ensure that every part of the chain is FSC certified
• the product you choose to purchase will not add to the destruction of the forest and its inhabitants, including many rare animals
• local workers and communities are trained, employed, and provided the necessary safety equipment to manage the forests
• future generations are afforded the opportunity to enjoy and appreciate the natural beauty and benefits of the forest

Why you should consider FSC-Certified wood flooring?

Today’s eco-conscious consumer is curious about the journey behind the products they purchase — and in recent years, sustainable, environmentally-friendly FSC wood flooring has seen a real rise in demand.

This trend has been simplified for the consumer by the introduction of the FSC accreditation scheme — which means that the wood flooring has met all the standards developed by the Forest Stewardship Council. While it’s not easy to become FSC certified, it’s a process that’s well worth going through.

As a supplier, the FSC certification scheme gives you extra muscle and added credibility — it demonstrates to your clients that you’re serious about responsible forest practices, including protecting the ecosystems and respecting native cultures and economies.

Carbon has become a growing concern with forests over the past years. Fortunately, our forests are highly efficient carbon captures. Trees pull carbon out of the atmosphere through photosynthesis, bind it up in sugar, and in the process, release oxygen.

Forest management, when implemented correctly, is the most efficient way to enhance the natural cycle of carbon capture and the production of oxygen.  The ongoing process of harvesting and replanting is necessary to ensure there is always a healthy share of the forest, which is made up of mature and younger trees in vigorous growth. Both help reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.

Afforestation and reforestation help sequester carbon from the atmosphere and can store it for decades, as well as improve soil health.  The process of repairing, recycling and converting timber into other types of wood-based products can greatly extend the length of time carbon is stored.

Certification and sustainable forest stewardship are growing incrementally within the industry which processes the harvested trees and ultimately manufactures wood products — between 2005 and 2009 certification of all timber supplied in the UK grew by nearly 30%.

Conclusion

In short, the FSC system allows businesses and consumers to identify, purchase and use wood grown from ethically and sustainably forests. In order to keep forests flourishing in the correct manner, the FSC stands by certain principles that ensure the beneficial management of forests, plantations and timbers around the globe.

Some of their principles include maintaining, conserving and restoring ecosystem services, setting ethical forestry laws and regulations, protecting forests from clear-cutting or harmful pesticide use, and protecting the social rights and economic wellbeing of forest workers and local communities. All in all, these guidelines help to encourage an ethically-sound forest, and in the process, creating more sustainable, environmentally-friendly wood flooring.