Why Should Your Decking or Cladding Carry The FSC Logo?

By using FSC-certified wood composite decking or cladding or offering FSC certified products to your customers, you can rest assured that you are doing your part for the world’s forests. That’s an invaluable benefit in itself.

FSC certification is from the Forest Stewardship Council. It is a nonprofits and global organization that helps to promote and ensure responsible management of forests around the planet.

It works to prevent deforestation of certified forests by retailers through practicing and enforcing sustainable forestry and responsible forest management policies.

More specifically, the FSC audits and certifies forests around the globe to ensure they meet both social and environmental sustainability standards.

Through this effort, controlled wood harvesting is providing, leading to a healthier environment and ecosystem in the long term.

For example, the FSC may analyze a specific forest used for lumber. If that forest is maintained to ensure adequate tree growth — that is, if it’s not over-mined for resources — it could receive FSC certification.

Why is it Important for your Decking and Cladding to be FSC Certified?

If you were to ask a passerby five or six years ago about the FSC, there is not much chance they would have heard of it.

Now, consumers are increasingly aware of environmental certifications and, more often than not, hold companies to account by shopping only from certified suppliers.

Conscious customers, who include most of the population, now understand the importance of forests, from their role in providing valuable outdoor space to being home to many indigenous people and animals.

In a more conceptual sense, forests make a home for us all, being the best defence against climate change.

As such, the average shopper is outwardly against deforestation, passionate about protecting rare species and instantly attracted to the FSC label. 

Teckwood as a leading supplier of composite wood decking and cladding are a global building products supplier in today’s construction market.

Teckwood believe FSC certified supply should be a given.

What are the benefits of FSC?

1. Credibility

FSC is an independent, member led group organized into social, environmental, and economic chambers that have equal authority. Members elect the board of directors and vote on major decisions.

Anyone committed to responsible forest management can become a member of FSC.

This open and balanced approach is unique to FSC and ensures a diversity of perspectives is represented in decision making.

2. High environmental standards

FSC’s forest management standards expand protection of water quality, prohibit harvest of rare old-growth forest, prevent loss of natural forest cover and prohibit highly hazardous chemicals, which are all unique aspects of the system.

For example, FSC prohibits the use of atrazine, which is otherwise legal in the US but banned in Europe because it has been shown to cause water pollution and birth defects.

3. Protection of workers’ rights

FSC certification requires organisations to apply FSC core labour requirements to their certified business. These requirements apply to the abolition of child labour,

elimination of all forms of forced labour, elimination of discrimination in employment and occupation, and respect for the freedom and right of workers to associate and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining.

4. Community Engagement

FSC requires its forest managers on both public and private lands to engage with local community members and to protect customary rights of indigenous people, ensuring their voices are part of the certification process and impacts of forest operations are addressed.

In addition, FSC requires the results of certification audits to be released to the public, even on private lands, which makes FSC unique among forest certifications.

5. Access to Markets

Many major companies have policies that state a preference for FSC certified products.

Green building standards provide incentives for using FSC certified materials. Increasingly, consumers are requesting FSC certified products in retail stores across the country.

Many governments require the use of FSC certified products. Companies that produce FSC certified products gain access to these markets, and many

According to the Forestry Stewardship Council in 2021 it was found that 73% of adults in the UK recognised the FSC logo, which had increased from 67% in 2020, and 55% in 2019.

37% of those who recognised the FSC logo stated that they always or often choose FSC certified products and a third recall purchasing an FSC certified product in the last 3 months.

Teckwood believe that FSC certified forests must be managed to the highest environmental, social and economic standards. Trees that are harvested are replanted or allowed to regenerate naturally. The forests must be managed with due respect for the environment, the wildlife and the people who live and work in them. This is what makes the FSC system unique and ensures that a forest is well-managed, from the protection of indigenous people‘s rights to the methods of felling trees. FSC is the only forest certification scheme endorsed by WWF and the Woodland Trust.

6. Global Retailers in Support of FSC 

The FSC chain of custody (CoC) comprises over 55,000 companies worldwide, including many market leaders in building supply, paper production, fashion and textiles. 

Gucci, Burberry and even the likes of Disney are all committed to certified materials.

Teckwood are one of the many brands that have been using FSC certified materials and you can see how prominent the FSC tree labels have become.

Whether it’s displaying the FSC 100% recycled label, the mixed version or the recycled option. 

7. Making the Commitment to Sell FSC Certified Goods

Whether your operation spans several countries in the same continent or the entire globe, solely selling FSC certified goods is possible. 

In fact, there are not any obvious drawbacks to going all in on FSC, as the journey will likely take you to a more transparent supply chain.

Rather than choosing suppliers depending on their geography, a national supplier will make your production more uniform not to mention environmentally friendly.

The FSC can help you navigate today’s complex global production network and instantly align you with national suppliers such as Teckwood who share the same sustainability values.

If you are not certain of your composite decking or claddings material source now is the time to make a change.

Think about your supply chain from a sustainability point of view and turn to organisations that improve outlook. FSC certified products can mark the start towards a more environmentally future.

8. The Bottom Line

Ultimately, FSC certification does help Teckwood’s brand stand out from competitors in the same industry or niche.

Even better, it proves that you “walk the walk” rather than “talk the talk” regarding eco-friendliness and forestry preservation.

Conclusion

As we have seen in this article, betting on the FSC certificate is betting on environmental well-being on the planet.

However, as we explained before, the decision to use this sustainable material depends exclusively on the companies that consume timber.

A company with high ecological standards in all its productions must bet on pure or recycled certificates if it wants to transmit coherence in its messages on ecology and sustainability.

Teckwood want to invite you to choose FSC certified composite decking and cladding for your next exciting grand design in order to jointly promote a transparent exploitation model that ensures a sustainable future for the environment.

We are committed to helping the environment. For further information on FSC or our environmentally friendly building products call sales team on 0800 799 9082 or email info@teckwood.co.uk

FSC Website: https://uk.fsc.org/