As our global population grows and damage to the environment increases, every material we use should consider both the use-case and the environmental impact. The environmental impact of buying locally grown UK-timber vs overseas timber is quite significant.
Carbon Footprint: Imported Wood
Wood imported to the UK from countries such as Canada, Brazil, and Russia has to travel thousands of miles, using multiple different methods of transport, resulting in considerable carbon emissions. However even buying closer to home from an overseas location, such as from France, once again leaves a much larger carbon footprint than buying UK-grown timber.
Let’s put some numbers on it to demonstrate. If you buy a ton of wood from Brazil, more than 5,000 miles away, this would produce around 100kg CO₂ emissions. Multiple that by large volumes and the impact is huge. Recent studies indicated that in 2022, 6.6 million cubic metres of wood were imported to the UK from outside the EU, equating to over 330,000 million tons of CO₂. And that doesn’t even account for emissions from harvesting and processing.
Deforestation and Forest Management Practices
Our forests are crucial to the health of our planet, especially in regions such as the Amazon where illegal forestry practices are an ongoing problem. Buying timber from areas such as this may result in the loss of vital ecosystems, a loss of biodiversity, and displacement on local communities. By contract, the UK has stringent forestry practices to protect natural resources for years to come. We like to use Grown in Britain certified timber sources which now account for 44% of the UK’s woodland.
Economic and Environmental Benefits of UK Hardwood
Not only does wood from UK sources dramatically reduce CO₂ emissions by reducing the distance it must travel, it also reduces the cost, making it an environmentally and financially responsible choice.
Within the UK the timber industry supports over 30,000 jobs (Source: Forest Research), meaning the continuation of this industry is of great commercial value. By choosing UK timbers, you can support these individuals and their families.
Conclusion: The Clear Environmental Choice
When comparing international timbers to UK-grown timbers, locally grown timber is clearly the responsible choice due to reduced carbon emissions, managed forestry practices, and positive financial effects on local communities.
At Quercast, we are committed to sustainability and we hope this helps you to understand why.
