FSC CERTIFIED OSB GETS THE GREEN LIGHT FROM GREENPEACE
A Guide published by Greenpeace in August, titled: ‘Setting a New Standard: Alternatives to unsustainable plywood in the UK construction industry’, has cited FSC certified Oriented Strand Board (OSB) as one of the most environmentally sound alternatives to non-FSC certified plywood for all manner of building projects.
The Guide, which highlights how demand for plywood from the international marketplace is a major contributing factor to the continued destruction of ancient rainforests from illegal logging, claims that the construction industry uses nearly 70% of all the timber products used in the UK and therefore has a vital role to play in understanding the issues and taking collective action to reverse the trend.
Whilst some major companies already ensure their plywood comes from responsible sources, there are still far too many purchasing unsustainable plywood manufactured, for instance, in China and South America with raw materials originating from threatened rainforests, such as those in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Brazilian Amazon. This is where FSC certified OSB that is CE marked in accordance with EN 13986 has a vital role to play, as a versatile and extremely tough alternative to all plywood available on the UK market - whether FSC certified or not.
Now in its third year, the JOSB Done campaign aims to raise awareness of the suitability of FSC certified OSB from locally managed forests in the UK and Ireland as a replacement purchase option for all types of plywoods. Spokesperson for the campaign, Alastair Kerr, director general of the Wood Panel Industries Federation, is supportive of the recommendations made by Greenpeace and in particular that wood products that come from certified sustainable sources should be specified in preference to all others. He said:
“Attitudes are certainly shifting towards the pursuit of greener solutions and with momentum gathering behind the Code for Sustainable Homes, introducing the right types of panel products into building schemes has to be a positive move. However, it isn’t a case of ‘one size fits all’. Different wood panels offer different inherent qualities and come from various sources, so it is important to ask all the right questions before making any purchase.
“In recent years, Greenpeace has repeatedly exposed the use of unsustainable plywood manufactured from illegal sources and then imported for use in the UK construction industry. The Guide continues to highlight the importance of the FSC mark and in the document, Greenpeace clearly confirms its view that: “The FSC is the only internationally recognised forest certification system on the market that can give credible assurance that timber products come from responsibly managed forests”.
“The new Guide heralds a big step in the right direction for today’s building sector and supports everything we have been saying for almost three years in the name of the JOSB Done campaign. Our central aim is to make the industry aware that FSC certified OSB is the perfect substitute for all plywood for all manner of projects.
“OSB manufactured in the UK and Ireland is always sourced from locally managed forests that are independently certified to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) criteria. This serves two purposes. Firstly, the raw material travels a shorter distance to the manufacturing mill. Secondly, it is possible for manufacturers in the UK and Ireland to trace each and every board of FSC certified OSB they produce to the exact forest it came from and to mark the panels with other relevant technical data.
“Logs used to manufacture OSB are also a natural bi-product of the thinning process that takes place in managed woodlands to help it thrive. Only the smaller trees are selected to make OSB, leaving the larger, stronger trees to grow on for years and provide suitable raw material for the saw milling industry.
“As the forests providing the logs are local to manufacturers in the UK and Ireland and the manufacturing of the FSC certified OSB boards takes place close to the UK and Irish construction markets, the carbon footprint is minimised when it comes to transportation miles too.
“Consistent in quality and backed by the correct credentials, FSC certified OSB is a safe and sound choice for the construction industry and is used extensively in timber frame housing and for flooring, wall sheathing, roofing, site hoardings, packaging and the DIY sector, as a superior alternative to many other competing wood panel products available on the market.”
The JOSB Done campaign to promote FSC certified OSB is supported by leading timber panel manufacturers Norbord and SmartPly, with support from major resin supplier, Huntsman, and the Wood Panel Industries Federation.
