FLOORING AND PEFC-CERTIFIED TIMBER

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1 FLOORING AND PEFC-CERTIFIED TIMBER

2 ABOUT PEFC PEFC (Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification) is an international non-profit, non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting Sustainable Forest Management through independent third-party certification. PEFC is an umbrella organisation. It works by endorsing national forest certification systems developed collaboratively by all interested stakeholders and tailored to local priorities and conditions. National forest certification schemes undergo rigorous third party assessment against PEFC s unique Sustainability Benchmarks. PEFC has recognised certification systems in over 30 countries. Together these account for over 258 million hectares of certified forests, 2 making PEFC the world s largest forest and wood product certification system. It applies the highest ecological, social and ethical standards to forest management and is the certification system of choice for family and communityowned forests. At its core is an independently verified Chain of Custody process which tracks certified material from the forest to the end user enabling companies to make accurate claims on the content of certified material. It proves that each step of the supply chain from the forest to the end user has been monitored closely with independent auditing. To date, more than 16,000 companies have obtained PEFC Chain of Custody certification.

3 STEP ON SUSTAINABILITY Stylish, durable and low maintenance, timber is one of the most popular and widely used materials in the flooring sector. Solid, engineered or laminate, timber brings a natural and elegant element to any interior and wooden flooring is widely recognised as a hard wearing, natural product and suitable for most building types. With a wide range of species, colours, textures and grain patterns plus a winning combination of sustainability and aesthetics, it has become a key material for building specification. As well as being a long term staple of domestic homes and DIY, timber flooring is now being increasingly requested in the commercial sector. Hygienic and easy to clean in comparison to carpet, timber is regularly specified in healthcare and educational environments. Demand for responsibly-produced goods is growing everywhere. Wood products use considerably less energy in their production than many alternative materials and with climate change and environmental concerns ever-present, both consumers and clients are increasingly seeking assurances that the products they buy have been responsibly-sourced. From commercial building owners and public sector specifiers to the DIY and residential markets, everybody is now far better informed and knowledgeable about their purchasing decisions and the impact on the environment. They are increasingly looking to buy timber products that are labelled as legal and sustainable. One of the simplest ways to demonstrate that your flooring comes from responsibly-managed forests is to buy and supply PEFC-certified material. This is your guarantee that it will have been sourced from forests endorsed against PEFC s international Sustainability Benchmarks and tracked through the supply chain via strict Chain of Custody certification. DID YOU KNOW? Every cubic metre of wood flooring contains 5kg of carbon dioxide and stores that until end of life where it can be reused or recycled. CO 2 emissions are seen as the principal cause of climate change so the carbon footprint of any product has become fundamental to the procurement decision-making process as quality, design and price. [Source: Frühwald, Hamburg University/UK TTF] 3

4 CERTIFIED FLOORING THE COMMERCIAL CHOICE PEFC-certified timber flooring is at the centre of many projects across many differing sectors and is readily available from a range of flooring suppliers across the UK and Europe. MUJI Retail, London PEFC-certified wide board oak forms a central part of the MUJI flagship store on Oxford Street in central London. Known for their high quality nonbranded goods, MUJI represents the simple, elegant aesthetic of Japanese design. Their new flagship store is a beautiful, open plan space across two floors, providing over 200m 2 of prime retail space. Specified by architects Marchini Curran Associates, the wide board solid oak was laid in an innovative design where the planks were rotated by 90 along the perimeter to demarcate different retail areas. Finished in ultra-matt lacquer, the PEFC-certified oak is both durable, attractive and will last for many years. WHY CHOOSE RESPONSIBLY SOURCED FLOORING? PEFC-certified wood comes with an assurance it is from a legal, sustainable and well managed source Timber flooring locks away CO 2 for the lifetime of the product and can ultimately be recycled Durable and attractive with thermal and acoustic integrity. 4

5 Wimbledon Racquets & Fitness Club When Wimbledon Racquets & Fitness Club needed new floors for their world class facilities they specified 560m² of SylvaSport Premium PEFC-certified beech. This was fitted in the new four-court badminton hall, creating stateof-the-art new courts, used by some of the best players in the country. Hardwood sports floors have the correct resilience, shock absorption and friction characteristics to facilitate athletes maximum performance and comfort. They have been designed to speed installation and to make both newbuild and refurbishments as time and costeffective as possible. The performance, safety and long lifespan have made timber sports flooring systems a perfect choice for specifiers. Heritage Centre, Gateshead Oak floors were chosen for the new heritage centre at the former St Mary s Church in Gateshead, a new facility dedicated to the history of Gateshead. Housed in the one of the region s oldest and most beautiful buildings, the church has undergone a 1.2m renovation funded by Gateshead Council, the European Regional Development Fund and the Heritage Lottery Fund. 500m 2 of PEFC-certified wide board oak flooring played a large part of the re-development, adding warmth and natural beauty to the historic interior. 5

6 CHAIN OF CUSTODY Chain of Custody certification is the process of handling information on the origin of forest-based products, which allows an organisation to make accurate and verifiable claims on the content of sustainably certified material. It proves that each step of the supply chain from the forest to the end user has been monitored closely through independent auditing and provides a means of tracking certified material. This unbroken link is transparent proof that the timber or wood-based product used is sourced from a responsiblymanaged, certified forest. Although other forest and Chain of Custody certification systems are available, there are distinct reasons why so many companies opt for PEFC. As the world s largest forest certification system, PEFC remains the certification system of choice for small, non-industrial private forests, with hundreds of thousands of family-owned forests A huge choice of sustainable timber flooring is available as PEFC-certified and enables anybody specifiying materials and flooring systems to meet stringent public and private sector procurement policies. Using PEFC-certified timber directly helps achieve Levels 3 to 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes and plays a pivotal role in satisfying the acoustic and thermal requirements of Part L and Part E of the Building Regulations. It is also a huge motivation in achieving Excellent and Outstanding BREEAM ratings the world s leading design and assessment method for a building s sustainable environmental performance. certified as meeting PEFC s strict Sustainability Benchmarks. PEFC Chain of Custody certification offers many important benefits: Access to markets provides companies with access to markets for environmentally responsible products Risk management includes social requirements to protect the fundamental rights of workers along the supply chain. PEFC was the first international Chain of Custody system to do this Availability and choice much of the world s certified forest area is PEFC-certified. That is currently more than 258 million hectares, offering the widest supply of certified fibre and timber Compliance with legislation PEFC s Due Diligence System (DDS) excludes wood from conversions, illegal and other controversial sources and is fully compliant with the EU Timber Regulation A clear and transparent message the PEFC logo and label on a product communicates to customers in a clear, concise and transparent manner that timber and woodbased products have been responsibly sourced Business leadership on sustainability businesses can gain a competitive advantage over other suppliers Traceability assurances that the certified material in the final product originates in PEFCcertified forests managed with due respect for environmental, economic and social standards. 6

7 A CERTIFIED AND CREATIVE EDGE PEFC flooring is readily available in solid, engineered and parquet styles and is suitable for any number of commercial and domestic applications. Species on the market and easily supplied include: Ash, Beech, Cherry, Larch, Maple, Merbau, Oak, Walnut and Wenge. PEFC-certified timber is also a central component of the Ska environmental performance standard. This tool measures fit-out projects in the context of the higher sustainability concerns across the corporate agenda. It consists of 104 individual good-practice measures including certified timber, energy efficiency and CO 2 emissions. Ska is designed to be of use to property stakeholders, including landlords, developers, consultants and fit-out contractors. The UK Contractors Group (UKCG) now stipulates that all timber products purchased for use on UKCG member sites should be certified as legally and sustainably sourced, as defined by the UK Government s Central Point of Expertise on Timber (CPET). This includes PEFC and the certification schemes that are part of PEFC, including the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) and the Malaysian Timber Certification Scheme (MTCS). For further information visit: CERTIFIED TIMBER FROM PEFC Aesthetics an organic material that looks stunning across a range of applications for interiors and exteriors your scheme a special flourish. Widely available from an extensive network of merchants and suppliers Flexibility a unique material that is simple and easy to design and understand. It is also renewable, reusable and recyclable Performance outstanding results across a wide range of residential and commercial schemes to high environmental standards Supply a huge variety of softwoods and hardwoods from around the globe to give Responsibility a trusted and robust Chain of Custody from the forest to the end user. PEFC is the world s largest forest certification system. PEFCcertified materials are accepted by public procurement policies worldwide Sustainability a simple and effective way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. 7

8 PEFC s distinctive green trees logo transcends language barriers making it a truly global brand. For further information about the PEFC programme in the UK visit: Photo credits: HARO/Hamberger Flooring (front cover), Junckers Flooring, James Latham plc, Freeimages. PEFC UK Limited Sheffield Technology Parks Cooper Buildings Arundel Street Sheffield S1 2NS t e info@pefc.co.uk w Printed on PEFC certified paper by Horner Brothers Paragon t w PEFC/