What is PEFC or FSC certified timber?
What is
Timber Imports only imports PEFC or FSC-certified timber, guaranteeing the sustainability of forests where our timber is grown.
So what is PEFC or FSC-certified timber?
There are a number of schemes in place to protect forests across the world and ensure that future generations have access to timber responsibly. FSC® and PEFC are the two most prominent certification schemes for responsibly sourced timber.
WHAT IS ‘FSC®’ ?
Most of us will recognise the FSC® logo from everyday products made from wood and paper, from shopping receipts to toilet paper. But what does it really mean? FSC® stands for the ‘Forest Stewardship Council®’. It is an international non-profit organisation that is dedicated to promoting responsible forestry practices.
The FSC® system is made up of two parts:
Forest Management Certification. This ensures that forests are inspected and certified in line with their ’10 Principles of Forest Stewardship®’ (https://au.fsc.org/en-au/about-fsc/vision-and-mission).
Chain of Custody Certification. This tracks timber products from the forest they are sourced from, right the way through to the end product. This assures the customer or end user that the product they have received is responsibly sourced and not obtained illegally or unethically. The Chain of Custody certification is managed through regular audits and careful monitoring of all paperwork for timber products.
WHAT IS ‘PEFC’ ?
PEFC (or ‘Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification’) is actually very similar to the FSC® system. It too is an international non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting responsible forestry practices.
Like the FSC® system, PEFC has Sustainable Forest Management certification to maintain responsible management practices for forests. PEFC also has a Chain of Custody scheme which tracks timber from its origin forest, allowing companies to make accurate and verifiable claims about its timber materials.
SO WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FSC® AND PEFC?
Whilst FSC® sets specific standards; PEFC is more of an umbrella brand incorporating different national certification schemes and covers a much larger area than FSC®. Ultimately the end goals are the same. Both provide schemes to protect forests and ensure end users get the responsibly sourced timber they requested.