On Greenovate, Juliette Ouvaroff and her husband Alexander are renovating their Venice, California home in preparation for a new addition to the family. They've decided to focus on using sustainable materials to set an example for their child. Juliette wants to install kitchen cabinets made from FSC lumber. Here's why the Ouvaroffs are so excited about this decision:
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the effective and responsible management of tree harvesting around the world. The group formed in 1993 in response to on-going discussions regarding socially and environmentally indifferent deforestation practices. Environmentalists and an international coalition of forward thinking lumber companies collaborated to create a set of guiding principles to help resolve some of the overwhelming issues at hand.
Additionally, FSC created a certification process for companies dedicated to responsibly managing the world's forests. If a company passes the series of evaluations and agrees to abide by the council's principles, they can place the FSC logo on their products. Consumers know when they see the logo that they are purchasing wood from a company who considers the larger social, economic and environmental impacts of tree harvesting.
Several national retailers have begun stocking FSC certified products. If you're interested in purchasing them for your greenovations or everyday projects, look for the FSC label on merchandise at Home Depot, Lowes and Kinkos.
