As a species, we seem to always be on the lookout for something new — always seeking improvements. Movies get remade. The iPhone is reincarnated twice a year. But some things don’t need to change. The wheel hasn’t undergone any major innovations, for example. We still haven’t found something that makes forks obsolete. And when it comes to building materials, even though there’s plenty of concrete, brick, fiberglass, carbon fiber, titanium, and various other options, we still just love wood.
Timber is timeless. While we inch further and further away from our natural origins and into a curated, technologically governed existence, wood is there to ground us. It reminds us of our roots. It’s one of the oldest building materials we ever used, with trees probably serving as our ancestors’ first form of shelter. It’s beautiful. And it doesn’t look like it’s going to go out of style, especially with the price of wood generally going up over time. What is changing, however, is how we understand the environmental impact of timber harvesting and the ways we, as consumers, can choose sustainable harvesting over harmful harvesting.
Wood may be a renewable resource, but even renewable resources can be outpaced by intense demand. We’re not quite at the level of real demand being higher than real supply, but we have historically treated the harvesting of timber with little forethought. It’s easy to see why — they grow back. Theoretically, we are able to consume as much wood as we need while planting new trees to take the place of those that were felled. In practice, of course, we’ve been rather wasteful. With the rainforest’s health increasingly in jeopardy, and deforestation coming into the spotlight as a major global issue, manufacturers and consumers alike are justifiably cautious.
ETO’s Commitment and Certifications
In 2009 ETO Doors became one of only a few U.S. door companies certified by the Forest Stewardship Council®, or FSC®. The Forest Stewardship Council is a global nonprofit organization whose mission is the regulation of sustainability standards in the world’s timber forests. The FSC is a non-governmental entity, but it is widely respected all over the world, and its certifications are not earned lightly. We’re just as proud of our FSC certifications as we are of our doors. Be sure to ask about our products with FSC sustainability certifications. These certifications can usually be found as physical seals on the products themselves, and carry information regarding the species and origin of the wood used. Per their official website, the FSC recognizes five categories of unacceptable wood sources:
- Illegally harvested wood
- Wood harvested in violation of traditional and human rights
- Wood harvested in forests in which high conservation values are threatened by management activities
- Wood harvested in forests being converted to plantations or non-forest use
- Wood from forests in which genetically-modified trees are planted
We don’t just rely on FSC certifications, though. To some, these certifications are simply a marketing tactic, and the same vendor that sells products with FSC seals may also be selling ones derived from endangered or prohibited woods that were harvested unethically.
We take a stance against unsustainable harvesting. When it comes to species like Brazilian mahogany, one of the most desirable woods, we source from South American producers that re-harvesting plants rather than from fresh timber. Mahogany from fresh timber may not be guaranteed sustainability, which means it likely contributes to the rainforest’s already dire deforestation.
None of the timber used to produce ETO Doors is ever listed as endangered.
Green Construction
It’s also worth it to take a look at your vendor’s portfolio. Have they contributed to any green construction projects? ETO Doors has provided doors to numerous projects nationwide that have been “LEED” Certified (Platinum: the highest level of Green Certification attainable). Just as the Forest Stewardship Council maintains standards of responsible forestry, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) maintains standards for responsible construction. Construction projects are graded according to a four-tier certification program, LEED. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The program’s four tiers — Green, Silver, Gold, and Platinum, with Platinum being the highest grading — represent varying levels of success in commitment to green building practices.
Contributing components to projects that earn Platinum LEED certifications is a good sign that the vendor you’re considering is responsible and ethical, making use of sustainable raw materials wherever possible. ETO Doors is proud to have provided doors, both wood and synthetic, to multiple projects that have gone on to earn Platinum LEED certifications. As the west coast’s premier fabricator of wood doors, we offer various high-quality woods — like our gorgeous, sustainable mahogany.
