South Australian company Baker Moon Timber & Panel Products has been awarded chain of custody accreditation for the purchase, storage and distribution of timber products and mouldings.
The company says international certification schemes enabling timber to be tracked from seedlings to building sites are needed for the timber industry to move forward.
The family owned business has been supplying locally and internationally sourced timber for over 40 years.
Its manager Kym Buckingham said consumers were becoming more discerning in their choice of products and the impact their production had upon the environment.
“Timber is arguably the most environmentally carbon friendly building material available, but concerns such as unsustainable logging and land-clearing are having an impact on public support for this renewable product,” he said.
“The only way for timber to enhance its reputation is through international tracking protocols which will enable customers to know where the wood has come from and be assured of its environmental credentials.”
The tracking protocol ensures that wood products have come from a legal and responsibly managed forest, with independent third party verification of all supply links from the forest to the marketplace.
“In most cases the consumer won’t have to pay any more for wood products with a chain of custody guarantee, but they can be assured that their timber comes from legal and responsibly managed forests, sawmills and suppliers.” he said.
“Consumers are expecting businesses to be more open and up-front about the history or content of their products, and timber is no different. Forest certification is the way forward for our industry.”
The certification achieved by Baker Moon meets specific standards set by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) and is third party accredited by SGS, an independent assessment agency.
“Now we have been certified, I envisage there will be a rolling change with our incoming timber stock. It is our aim to have a majority of Chain of Custody product available for consumers in the future,” said Buckingham.
