Tips of the trade - flooring

1. Don’t simply ask for FSC-certified wood. Only 3-4% of the world’s supply is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. There are other certification schemes which are less well known, but which are fully recognised by the UK government, including PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes), which applies mostly to European forests, and CSA (Canadian Standards Association), which applies to North American sources.

2. Don’t assume that just because a producer doesn’t have certification, the wood is illegal. We deal with 3,000 forests which we have dealt with for more than 75 years. These forests are clearly sustainable: they are still there and improving every year.

3. Do rely on the credibility of the company. Junckers has long relationships with its suppliers and has introduced its own questionnaire to assess the sustainability of their forests.

4. Don’t assume that just because you see an FSC or PEFC logo that all a firm’s products are sustainable. Junckers’ plant in Denmark is both FSC and PEFC-certified, but this does not mean that all of the wood we use is too: some is and some isn’t.

5. Check the sustainability of the manufacturer’s operation. All manufacturers are working to reduce their waste and carbon footprint. At Junckers’ plant in Denmark we use the waste wood to fuel an on-site power station which provides electricity for the plant and for the local town.