What We Found From Our Sustainability Survey
Earlier on in the year, we conducted a survey asking 980 people about sustainably sourced wood and what they thought about illegal logging and the efforts of organisations trying to protect trees.
Here are four things that we found:
People are less inclined to buy tropical timber
One of the first questions we asked people was whether they would avoid purchasing furniture that is made from tropical timber, and 59% of people said that they would avoid tropical timber. Although it is possible to purchase timber from tropical climates without being sourced from rainforests, this is where much of the problem lies.
According to Rainforest Rescue:
More and more finished wood products are also being imported from tropical countries. The wages there are low and worker's rights fall far short of those in rich countries.
This drives down prices, but at the expense of both people and nature. We therefore recommend using native timber rather than tropical timber of questionable origin.
It seems therefore, that people are more or less in-line with directives given out by leading organisations.
People are more likely to buy certified wood
We also asked people just how important it was for them that their furniture was made from certified wood. Out of the 980 people who answered, 29% of people stated that it was very important to them with 43% saying that the certification was fairly important. This shows that roughly 73% of people care to some degree that the furniture they buy is made using certified wood.
Looking out for certifications on wood is a great way of knowing whether your furniture is from sustainably sourced forests. One of the most prominent certification schemes is the Forest Stewardship Council, which promotes environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the worlds forests.
More people will pay more money for sustainably sourced wood
Whats perhaps quite surprising is that we found that people are more likely to pay more money for furniture that is sustainably sourced over that which is not. Out of the 980 people we spoke to, an astonishing 66% stated that they would be happy to pay more money. That said however, sustainably sourced wood is not always more expensive, as this depends on the availability of the wood, country of origin and the trader who is selling it.
People think that furniture imported into the UK is made from wood sourced via illegal logging
We also asked people whether they thought that any wood imported into the UK was and is sourced from illegal logging. Over 60% of people thought this to be true and they weren't wrong. According to Friends of the Earth (FOE), 60% of all tropical timber imported into the UK is derived from illegal sources, which is more than any other country in the EU.
Whats more, the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), states that illegal logging deprives developing countries of an estimated $10-15bn in royalties each year.
