Lismore company Hampton and Larsson claims it has become the first joinery in Australia to obtain international certification from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) for joinery manufacture.
This means timber used in the production of so labelled commercial and residential doors, windows and stairs, is guaranteed to have been sourced in forests which are managed according to a strict set of environmental, social and economic standards, recognised worldwide and/or from non controversial sources.
According to Hampton and Larsson, no joinery company in Australia was until now able to offer the sustainable building industry a source of timber guaranteed not to contribute to the destruction of the world’s forests. Hampton and Larsson’s new qualification identifies timber it uses as coming from FSC-certified forests, so the finished product can be labelled as FSC-certified.
“After many months preparing our application and undergoing an exacting approval process, we are proud to announce that we have finally been granted the right to say we hold FSC Chain of Custody certification”, Chari Larsson says, who, since 2003, has represented the third generation of the Larsson family to own and manage the company.
“There are a number of eco labels around but none has the same strict level of environmental, social and economic standards, or such a rigorous ‘chain of custody’ as the FSC certified system”, she says.
“The FSC Chain of Custody has the ability to track through every stage in the supply chain, from the forest to the final user. It’s monitored through the invoicing process, and a code on the final label on the product confirms that the item is genuinely FSC-OK”.
As part of the certification process, independent FSC auditor, SmartWood, will ensure the Chain of Custody procedures are being followed, annually auditing Hampton and Larsson’s premises. It is the only system endorsed by such major environmental groups as WWF (Worldwide Fund for Nature), Greenpeace, and Friends of the Earth.
The Forest Stewardship Council is an independent, non-profit, non-government organisation promoting the responsible management of the world’s forests. Headquartered in Bonn, Germany, the FSC was founded in 1993 in response to public concern regarding deforestation and the need for a trustworthy method of wood labelling. Further details of FSC certification can be found on the their website www.fscoax.org