Is wood from Victoria sustainable?
- In short: yes! All our members, from growers to processors, are globally certified. There are two major certification schemes for wood products: FSC® and Responsible Wood, the National Governing body for PEFC in Australia. Our members are certified by either one or both of these schemes.
- When you buy a product made from Victorian wood, you can rest assured it has been grown and harvested under sustainable practices. In fact, forest standards in Australia are among the highest in the world!
- Every tree harvested is regrown.
- Wood from Victoria comes with a smaller carbon footprint. After all, it did not need to be shipped halfway across the world!
How do FSC® and PEFC / Responsible Wood guarantee that the wood is sustainable?
- Both are committed to the same cause: to not only protect the world’s forests now but also ensure a responsible supply of timber for future generations.
- Both ensure that end-users get responsibly sourced timber.
- Both have a Sustainable Forest Management certification to maintain responsible management practices for forests.
- Both have a Chain of Custody scheme which tracks timber from its origin forest, allowing companies to make accurate and verifiable claims about its timber materials.
- Certification bodies:
- FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council) certificates are issued by third-party, FSC accredited certificate bodies
- The Responsible Wood / PEFC certification consists of two Australian Standards: Sustainable Forest Management and Chain of Custody.
What does that mean for me?
- Support local timber – it’s sustainable
- If you are unsure about the origin of the wood product you buy, look for either the PEFC / Responsible Wood or FSC® logo. If the wood was harvested in Victoria, you can be sure it is sustainable.
- For every tree that was used to make your product, a new tree has been planted and is growing right now!
