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The FSC® product label allows consumers worldwide to recognise products that support the growth of responsible forest management through sustainable timber. As the marketplace becomes increasingly environmentally aware, many demand the FSC® mark on their wood products. With West Fraser in the UK it comes as standard on a large proportion of our products.
Sustainable forestry
West Fraser Europe Limited is dedicated to producing board from sustainable sources of wood only. All of the wood we use comes from responsibly managed forests, or from recycled material. What’s more, the majority of our European manufactured products are from forests certified to Forest Stewardship Council standards. By insisting on FSC® certified sources, we help protect the world’s ancient forests.
Read West Fraser’s New Sustainable Forest and Wood Procurement Policy here
How sustainable forestry benefits the environment
Young, fast-growing trees are the lungs of the world, breathing in carbon dioxide and exhaling oxygen. By replanting trees, sustainable forestry ensures that more oxygen-emitting woodlands are created every year.
Reducing fossil fuels
In 2000, we entered into an agreement with the UK government to reduce fossil fuel usage by 10% by 2012. By the summer of 2007, the majority of our mills in Europe were firing up on biomass – burning excess timber residues produced on site – and helping to reduce the company’s dependence on energy generated using fossil fuels.
West Fraser UK has achieved a 45% reduction in fossil fuel combustion in the past five years and, when the programme is complete, 80% of our heat requirements used in the wood fibre drying process will come from biomass sources.
What’s more, all of our sustainable wood panels can be recycled at their end-of-life, meaning the wood can continue to be re-used long after its initial function is complete.
Relying on renewables
At West Fraser UK, 75% of the energy used to produce our sustainable wood panel products is derived from renewables – residues left over in the manufacturing process. As a whole, West Fraser UK uses 1.5 million metric tons of biomass every year for energy – that’s the equivalent of about two million barrels of oil.
Request an A5 sample of any of our boards. Our samples come with an informative wraparound cover.
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