New World Timber are committed to upholding the highest environmental and ethical standards. We continually monitor and update our Environmental Policy to ensure that all timber products are only sourced legally from well managed forests. To demonstrate this we continue to support, through chain of custody certification, the Forest Stewardship Council^®  (FSC^®) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). Suppliers and producers offering products covered under these recognised schemes are automatically given preference through our supplier rating system.

Timber, if managed responsibly, remains the most environmentally friendly material and New World Timber will continually monitor and improve its environmental performance from the products held in stock, the packaging used and waste created.

In addition, the United Kingdom Timber Regulations (referred to as UKTR) seeks to counter the trade in illegally harvested timber and timber products. It prohibits placing illegally harvested timber and products derived from such timber on the UK market, New World Timber actively supports this regulation and provides its customers with the assurance that our products are able to meet both their legal, environmental and technical requirements.

Timber has long been a popular building material, but with recent shock and concern over global deforestation and warming – many people are questioning whether they should be using it.

The quick answer is YES! As long as it’s from a sustainable source. Timber is a renewable raw material.

Carbon Capture and storage

Trees absorb carbon as they grow, with sustainable forestry, at least as many new trees are grown than are harvested. As long as a timber product does not burn or rot, its carbon stays ‘locked up’. So, when trees are harvested, their carbon is stored in timber and they are replaced by new young trees. Therefore, the net effect is removing carbon from the atmosphere, which is good for the environment.

Around a tonne of carbon is stored in every metre cubed of timber. Even better, trees actually absorb carbon very rapidly while they are growing, and absorb less as they age.

Low embodied energy

Sustainable timber has the lowest embodied energy (energy used in its processing, production and transport, from tree to consumer use) of any mainstream building material, and far less than for steel, concrete or aluminium. This is mainly because timber requires minimal processing compared to other materials. As the embodied carbon in the average building accounts for 30-50% of its whole carbon footprint, this has the potential to make a huge impact.

Its processing also emits less sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, particulate matter and VOCs than competing materials.

Truly renewable

Looking to the longer term, one of the biggest advantages of sustainable timber is that it is obviously a naturally renewable material.

A tree can be grown to a suitable harvest size in 25 to 80 years, while the raw materials for bricks, steel and plastics are only renewed over geological time – i.e finite in human terms.

The best way is to choose certified timber from New World Timber! We have a vast range of FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council) and PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) certified timber which is always in stock.