Have you ever noticed the FSC certified logo on some products when shopping for wood or paper products? Many businesses use the FSC Certified logo on their products and Natart is one of them. If you’re wondering what that means and why it’s on some of your furniture, you’ve come to the right place.
What is the FSC Certification?
The FSC logo on a product means it was manufactured using certified wood that meets stringent standards with regards to the environment and forest management. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an organization started by and comprised of consumers, traders, and environmental organizations. The FSC ensures that the wood is sourced from responsibly managed forests.
It’s not just the environmental impact of deforestation either. The FSC certification also includes features such as:
- Restrictions about the use of hazardous chemicals
- A certified chain of custody to ensure the end product is genuine
- Forests must be managed in a sustainable, economic, and ethical manner
- Safeguarding the rights of indigenous and forest-dependent communities around the world
- Rules on replantation where trees are replanted or allowed to regenerate naturally, minimizing the environmental impact
Types of FSC Certification
There are 3 different logos you might see on a wood product:
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FSC 100%
If you see this logo, it means the product uses 100% virgin material that is obtained from FSC certified forests.
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FSC Mix
If a product has the FSC Mix logo, it means it uses a mix of materials including virgin wood from FSC certified forests, FSC controlled wood and recycled or reclaimed materials.
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FSC Recycled
The FSC Recycled label shows buyers that the products use a mix of pre-consumer and post-consumer recycled materials.
Natart products carry the FSC 100% logo as we only use materials from FSC certified forests and adhere to rules of replantation (roughly 3 – 4 trees planted for every single one cut down).
Why is FSC Certification important?
First and foremost, FSC certification means good things for the environment. If you care about sustainable living and conserving our natural resources, then FSC certified wood is the way to go. You can confidently purchase products with this logo as you know the manufacturing process minimizes the impact on the natural world. FSC certification also postulates standards regarding the use of hazardous chemicals.
The FSC certification focuses on forestry products such as wood furniture. It enforces reforestation and afforestation efforts, so we can still have forests decades into the future. These conservation efforts are crucial for:
- Sustainable production of wood in the long term rather than short term clearcutting
- Preserve old-growth forests that are valuable in terms of their biodiversity
- Conserve the natural habitat of insects, birds, and other animals
- Prevent soil erosion and decrease the risk of floods/natural disasters
- Help reduce the effects of air and water pollution
- Trap and offset carbon emissions from manufacturing processes to minimize the impact of climate change
Apart from helping the environment, the FSC certification also helps safeguard the rights of communities that depend on our forests, including indigenous people around the world. Companies sourcing FSC certified wood are committed to paying fair living wages and maintaining ethical standards during the manufacturing process. It ensures corporations are not the only entities benefiting from natural resources.
Private ventures and government programs
Obtaining the FSC certification requires companies to replant trees even as they cut them to manufacture products. These efforts are being joined by government programs aimed at replenishing/renewing forests such as Canada’s plan to plant over 2 billion trees by 2030 [1]. Planting these trees is part of the country’s overall goal of becoming carbon neutral in the future. Not only does this effort preserve our natural heritage but will also create thousands of ‘green’ jobs that contribute to the economy.
Some countries are blessed with abundant natural resources while others are not so lucky. However, it does not mean they can afford to deplete them quickly. This program highlights the importance of forests and shines a light on how much we rely on the use of natural resources like wood.
Natart and FSC certification
At Natart, we pride ourselves on the quality of our products, both in terms of health and safety as well as environmental impact. That’s why we only use wood from FSC certified forests for all our furniture.
Our manufacturing processes are designed to minimize the use of harmful chemicals including paints, varnish, and adhesives. Most of our manufacturing by-products are recycled weekly. All our efforts help us in making premium nursery furniture that will stand the test of time, even as it promotes the health and safety of your family. Now that’s what we like to call a win-win!