Government and company procurement policies are set to profoundly change the UK market for timber, even for products such as plywood. As Tigerwood UK recently put it, “at long last it would appear that the market is beginning to realise that the days of cheap undervalued tropical hardwood plywood are over”. This realisation is long overdue given the illegality, environmental destruction and social conflict associated with the trade.
That is why Travis Perkins and Jewson are suspending purchases from Indonesia’s rainforests. Business as usual there is no longer an option. There can be no legal and sustainable timber trade with Indonesia without massive reductions in industry capacity and corresponding reductions in international demand. There is no independently verified ‘legal’ timber currently available. And faxed reassurances that mills are members of the BRIK forestry agency are not worth the paper they’re written on.
The inevitable conclusion is that there has to be a huge reduction in the demand for and sale of tropical hardwood plywood. Without such a reduction the problem will simply be transferred to countries such as Malaysia or Brazil.
Sounds outrageous or unrealistic? It shouldn’t. In most instances where tropical hardwood ply is used it doesn’t need to be. Readily available, independently certified and in many cases cheaper alternatives can be used – be it OSB, MDF or non-tropical ply. FSC hardwood ply is also now reaching the market place.
So, bite the bullet and accept the reality – cheap throwaway timber products from half way around the globe go hand in hand with illegality, social conflict and forest destruction. Cancel the orders and kick-start a sales drive and an education programme for all your customers on the alternatives to this trade.
E-mail andy.tait@uk.greenpeace.org.
