A Floor Clean Enough to Save the Forests
February 1, 2009
Recently, Simon Lewis and Wendy Smith from San Francisco chose EcoTimber’s hardwood from Bolivia for their new flooring. The trees were cut one at a time and were grown without pesticides or fertilizers. “It had to be beautiful, but we also wanted to make sure we were conserving nature,” Simon remarked. “The decision to buy eco-friendly wood was the socially responsible thing to do.”1
According to the 2005 Global Forest Resources Assessment report of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, deforestation continues at an alarming rate of about 13 million hectares (32 million acres) a year, an area roughly the size of England. Deforestation affects climate systems and water balance, decimates wildlife, and disrupts the lives of indigenous populations.
One of the causes of deforestation is illegal logging of timber, especially from the world’s tropical hardwood reserves—trees such as teak, mahogany, merbau, and ramin. In Indonesia, 80% of logging is illegal and every year 2.8 million hectares (7 million acres), an area almost as large as Belgium, are lost. 2
A company that is promoting forest conservation worldwide is EcoTimber based in Richmond, California. Established in 1992, EcoTimber is the nation’s largest hardwood and bamboo flooring manufacturer and distributor devoted exclusively to environmentally friendly flooring products. From their LEED-CI certified warehouse, the company sells sustainably harvested and reclaimed wood products from forests that are certified well-managed according to the rules of the independent certification body Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
In addition to supporting sustainable forestry, EcoTimber is simultaneously
committed to providing healthy products free from toxic materials for their customers. But their materials not only benefit the health of the consumer’s home or office, they also sustain the health of the loggers and local communities who are the source of the responsibly harvested wood. FSC certification requires, among other things, that forest managers provide local residents with job opportunities and the freedom to organize, as well as respecting local laws and the rights of indigenous people.
EcoTimber CEO Lewis Erick Buchner says, “RSF Social Finance is a key financial partner in furthering our mission. People from all over the political spectrum are concerned about keeping our forests intact. And they’re concerned about the chemicals released by products they bring into their homes. By utilizing FSC-certified wood and low- or zero formaldehyde adhesives, we are able to satisfy both concerns.”
For more information on EcoTimber, please visit www.ecotimber.com.
1 Hughes, C.J, “Buying Green Flooring: 10 Options for the Eco-Minded Remodeler,” March 2006. http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/knowhow/tools/article/0,16417,1118092,00.html
2 EIA/Telepak, “Behind the Veneer,” March 2006
- Published by Jillian McCoy
- Categories: Ecological Stewardship, Investing, Lending, Social Investment Fund
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