There is no question that the green building movement is gaining momentum. In 2013 the eco-friendly building industry will have grown from 2% of the building industry to 20%. It is one of the fastest growing industries in the United States. You can have your very own slice of the pie if you get FSC certification.
FSC Rules
The FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) has developed a set of rules all along the chain of custody (COC) to make sure that from the tree to the end user the most eco-friendly practices have been followed.
- They assure that trees were harvested sustainably.
- That the logs are shipped and handled in a manner that conserves energy
- and that the final product was made using the most efficient techniques.
Certification lets you LEED
It is important to your customers who want their homes and projects to qualify as LEED certified to buy as much FSC certified wood as possible. The more FSC certified forest products they have in their homes the more LEED points they earn. LEED is a program established by the US Green Building Council that awards certifications to projects that have proven that they are environmentally responsible. Points are awarded for every aspect of a project. The more points a building earns the higher level LEED certification they can attain.
FSC certification puts you at the front of the line when you wish to supply materials to a LEED certified project. Many times these projects are at the high end of the scale. You can charge a premium for your products because they are considered green. Besides that, you will have opened your self up to a new and growing market.
How to get your Certification
To get your FSC certification you can contact an accredited certifier. There is a list available at the FSC website.
They will give you the steps you need to take to become certified.
After you have put the techniques into place the certifier will send an auditor out. The auditor will check your process to be sure the guidelines set by the FSC are being followed. You will need to pay close attention to where your logs or lumber comes from and how it is handled from start to finish. You must be able to document every step so that you can prove that your forest products where harvested, shipped, and processed with the lowest impact on the environment.
FSC certification can give you that extra boost you need in a down economy. It can mean the difference between laying people off and keeping your workers employed. It could be that little jolt your business needs to elevate you to the top of your industry.