Combating Illegal Timber Use

According to the latest WWF report the UK is spending £712 million a year on illegal wood, with much of it coming from Sweden, Finland, Estonia and Latvia. The effects of this trade are far reaching and pose a major threat to forest survival across the globe. On the surface, the illegal logging leads to a decline in biodiversity and is harmful to the environment, but can also lead to an increase in corruption and tax evasion, both of which undermine governments and civil society. With figures collected by the UN in 2005 showing that forests cover 30% of the earth’s surface, the need to protect our forests and timber trade has never been more important.
  
So how can you ensure that you are purchasing wood obtained from a sustainable source?

The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) was created in 1998 by six European countries and is the most important worldwide certification for sustainable forest management. PEFC certification ensures that the source of your wood product is managed in a sustainable manner. Products come from forests where no more wood is harvested than is regrown, and forests are maintained as habitats for flora and fauna. In this way, the biodiversity of ecosystems is protected. Investment is also made sustainably, helping the economies of local communities.

So look for the PEFC logo on your office products, but bear in mind that not all companies that are certified choose to display the logo. You should ask your supplier about the source of the timber used in their products before you buy.