Sustainability and Timber

Did you know that timber is one of the most eco-friendly materials you can choose to work with in your project? Whether you are building with it or selecting it for your flooring, genuine and responsibly sourced wood is one of the best products you can use for ensuring the future health of our planet.

Find all of our 3rd party sustainability certified products in one collection here.

Scroll down to learn more about sustainability and timber.

CO2 AND RESPONSIBLE FORESTRY

Nature has a way of keeping balance and timber is one of its finest balancing tools. Growing trees absorb CO2. One cubic metre of living wood absorbs almost one tonne of CO2! The trees then break it down through photosynthesis and release oxygen into the atmosphere while storing the carbon in their wood for the life of the tree.

If the wood is put to use after the tree has long died, the carbon remains stored in the timber, preventing it from being released into our atmosphere. It is only when timber begins to rot that the carbon is finally released. It is in this way that we can slow down the carbon release through prolonging the life of the timber as building materials, flooring and other wooded products.

Sustainability and Timber

CO2 emissions are now recognised as one of the biggest causes of climate change. Organisations and individuals alike are becoming increasingly aware of their carbon footprint and taking action to minimise their impact. One of the ways in which all of us can take action, is by ensuring the wood we choose is the right wood - sourced from responsibly managed forests and manufactured using eco-friendly processes.

Carbon Neutral

Sustainability and Timber

When responsible forest harvesting is completed properly, with the harvesting and regeneration managed in a cyclical continuous process, it is incredibly eco-friendly and considered to be carbon-neutral (original reference).

Timber is also incredibly efficient to manufacture and transport, unlike other building and flooring materials such as cement, which is responsible for an estimated 5% of global CO2 emissions (original reference).

ENGINEERED TIMBER FLOORING AND SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainability and Timber

High quality engineered timber flooring is one of the best sustainable and eco-friendly products you can choose for flooring. Unlike solid timber flooring which uses only a limited section of each tree, engineered timber flooring is constructed using multiple thinner planks, allowing for a greater amount of each tree to be utilised in the construction. Engineered timber flooring makes optimal use of a precious resource and results in far less wastage.

Other common flooring options such as vinyl flooring are non-recyclable and emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are widely attributed to a number of health and environmental issues. These materials contribute to landfill and excess wastage, unlike timber flooring which can be refinished and resanded to prolong lifespan, or repurposed again into other wood materials and products.

COST EFFECTIVENESS

As the world has become increasingly aware of the importance of protecting our environment, the demand for sustainable and responsibly sourced products has increased. This has allowed the supply to meet demand, bringing prices down to an accessible level and making a high quality, eco-certified timber floor an option for nearly all budgets from large commercial projects through to residential homes.

Explore the Sustainability Certified Collection

UNDERSTANDING ECO CERTIFICATIONS

A number of international, non-governmental organisations have been established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests, these include the following:

The Forest Stewardship Council - FSC®

Sustainability and Timber

The Forestry Stewardship Council is an international not-for-profit organisation established to promote the sustainable management of the world’s forests. Considered to be the gold standard of ethically sourced timber certifications across the world, the FSC focuses on chain of custody as well as forest management.

Learn more about the FSC®

Cradle-To-Cradle Certified®

Sustainability and Timber

Cradle-to-Cradle Certified™ recognises products that are made with sustainability in mind and maximise their contribution to the circular economy. Products are assessed across five categories: material health, material reutilisation, renewable energy and; carbon management, water stewardship and social fairness.

Learn more about Cradle-to-Cradle™

PEFC Certified

Sustainability and Timber

The PEFC™, which stands for Program of the Endorsement of Forest Certification, focus on ensuring that certification is accessible, even to small and family owned forests. The PEFC aim to enable us to benefit from the many products that forest provide, while ensuring these forest will be around for generations to come.

Learn more about PEFC

SUSTAINABILITY AND HAVWOODS

Sustainability and Timber

Sustainability is the responsibility of both individuals and organisations. The ecological footprint of any product has become as fundamental to the decision-making process as quality, design and price.

For us at Havwoods, sustainability is a matter of extreme importance. We are continuously taking new steps to improve our actions in this area. We ensure all of our products are ethically and sustainably sourced, and we are proud to work with like-minded, reputable timber manufacturers.

Wherever possible, our products carry independent and trusted certification such as FSC® certification (C009500), PEFC and Cradle to Cradle® certification, to further verify our timber sources.

All certifications are available to you upon request to demonstrate to your clients that you have met their expectations for ethical, green trading.

Find all of our independently certified Havwoods products in one place in our Sustainability Certified Collection

Explore the Sustainability Certified Collection

Timber Regulations In Australia

Sustainability and Timber

Australia follows the detailed regulations of the Illegal Logging Prohibition Act. These strict regulations ensure that it is an offence to place illegally harvested timber and timber products on the Australian marketplace. Operators also have due diligence requirements under this Act, whereby they must assess and manage any risk that the products they are importing or processing have been illegally logged.

At Havwoods we have always had our own, extremely stringent requirements as to the provenance and sustainability of any timber which bears our name and ensuring we follow all regulations is top priority.

Over recent years we have also discontinued our offerings of exotic timbers as these species are most likely to suffer from illegal harvesting. With modern advancements in technologies, the demands for unusual colours and finishes can now be met more than adequately by manipulating readily available species like oak. 

Choose Wood

Sustainability and Timber

Choosing wood is undeniably good for the environment – just make sure that the wood you use is the right wood.

If you would like any guidance on choosing from our certified products, or further information at all, get in touch with us today.

Explore the Sustainability Certified Collection

LUNCH & LEARN: WOOD AND WELLBEING CPD PRESENTATION

Want to learn even more about timber as a sustainable resource? We offer a fantastic, informative and engaging presentation on the connection between Wood and Wellbeing.

The presentation is AIS assessed for 1 formal point so you can earn your CPD points while you discover the wonders of timber.

And the best part? We'll provide the lunch!

Learn more
Sustainability and Timber

Whitepapers on Sustainability

TRUSTWORTHY TIMBER:

The journey to responsibly-sourced wood flooring.

Here we examine the steps in specifying responsibly-sourced timber flooring – from the importance of sustainably-managed forests to choosing the right timber floor that will last a lifetime.

Sustainability and Timber
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Sustainability eBook 2021

Sustainability Summit & Awards Partnership

Havwoods were proud sponsors of the Adaptive Reuse category at the 2021 Sustainability Awards.

Download this eBook to see the nominees and award winners of the Adaptive Reuse design category and to read about Havwoods initiatives with sustainability.

Sustainability and Timber
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ONLY NATURAL:

Specifying Genuine Timber Flooring to Maximise Wellbeing

Biophillic design is a staple of modern architecture and for good reason. Download our latest whitepaper to learn how genuine timber flooring can enhance your biophillic design and contribute to overall wellbeing.

Sustainability and Timber
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