Timber is widely used here in Australia and it’s important it’s sourced responsibly. We support the use of certified timber, playing a small role in the international fight against illegal logging. It is estimated that Australia imports approximately $4.4 billion of timber and wood products (excluding furniture) each year[1]. Timber is big business and unfortunately about $400 million of our imports are suspected to come from sources with some chance of having been illegally logged[2].
In 2012, the Australian Government introduced legislation to prohibit the importation of illegally logged timber, joining the United States and European Union in pursuing sustainably managed global forests. The strengthening of Australia’s laws four years ago makes our country a less attractive destination for cheaper, illegal timber products that undercut local businesses, like us, offering certified timber. It is in the interests of the international community and future generations to protect our native flora and fauna in the forests they call home. The depletion of natural resources is also an issue that deserves our attention and consideration as an industry.
You can be confident your timber is from sustainably managed forests if its seller carries certification from the Forest Stewardship Council FSC® (FSC-C107681) or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). Both organisations are committed to achieving the certification of forests to independent standards of responsible management. The two schemes approach this objective with different systems but offer consumers equivalent certainty products originate from sustainably managed forests.
Matilda Veneer is accredited under both the PEFC and FSC® (FSC-C107681) Chain of Custody Certification programs. By being responsible members of such certification programs, we help to ensure that forests are managed in a way that not only takes care of the animals and plants, but also the communities who rely on forests[3]. Chain of Custody is about tracking wood from a sustainably managed forest through to its sale as an end product. Wood products may pass through many hands before being sold for its end use, therefore to retain its certified status each business that handles it must be accredited. Businesses that participate in the Chain of Custody are demonstrating their commitment to sustainably managed forests; and consumers who purchase the certified end product are making a responsible choice.
Matilda Veneer is focused on being a responsible business working within an ethical business framework. All of our products are sourced and manufactured with our philosophy of sustainability in mind, ensuring we are doing our bit for the environment helping to ensure that planet we love is here for many generations to come.
Further information about the certification programs are available at www.pefc.org/ and https://au.fsc.org/en-au.
[1] http://www.agriculture.gov.au/forestry/policies/illegal-logging
[2] JP Management Consulting (Asia Pacific) Pty Ltd, 2005, Overview of Illegal Logging: A report prepared for the Australian Government, Melbourne, Australia
