At Forté, we care deeply about the environment and all it provides. In a world where climate change and deforestation are real threats, we realise the importance of making positive environmental progress. We’re committed to reducing our impact on the environment with our wood flooring products and processes.
Reduced resource
One of the biggest environmental benefits of using engineered wood flooring in your home is that engineered timber only uses approximately one third of the amount of solid hardwood resource, compared to solid timber of the same dimensions, as only the wear layer/veneer is made of solid hardwood timber.
Solid wood flooring on the other hand is made up of solid wood all the way through with each plank made from one piece of wood, making it less environmentally friendly than engineered wood due to the amount of natural hardwood it takes to manufacture.
Long lifespan
Engineered wood flooring is always finished with a coating to protect it from damage and moisture, making it durable and long-lasting. Engineered wood flooring, if glued down, has an impressively long lifespan. Depending on the thickness of the veneer, an engineered wood floor can be re-sanded up to 5 times, giving it a lifespan of 30 – 50 years or more if cared for correctly. This reduces the amount of flooring material being produced, transported, and disposed of over time.
Sustainably sourced
Many engineered timber flooring products are made from wood that is sourced from sustainably managed forests, which helps preserve natural forests and promote responsible forestry practices.
Low VOC emissions
Many engineered wood flooring products are low VOC (volatile organic compound) with no added formaldehyde, which means they release no harmful chemicals into the air when installed. This can improve indoor air quality and contribute to a healthier home environment.
Recyclable
Engineered wood flooring can be recycled or repurposed once it has reached the end of its lifespan, further reducing its environmental impact.
Most of Forte’s timber flooring collections have an engineered construction, which use approximately one-third of slow-growing hardwood resources compared to solid timber. By supplying FSC® or PEFC® certified, sustainably sourced engineered timber products, we’re helping to minimise the amount of slow-growing hardwood needed to be harvested to make these products.
We use FSC® certified and recyclable boxes to send our samples, print our catalogues on FSC® certified papers and actively reduce our in-house paper and plastic usage.
TOITŪ ENVIROCARE CARBONREDUCE CERTIFICATION
Toitū Envirocare is a New Zealand Government-owned Crown Research Institute dedicated to ensuring New Zealand companies have the tools, actions and evidence needed to make measurable environmental progress and be recognised for it. In alignment with our CarbonReduce certification, we are committed to continuing to measure our carbon footprint and implement strategies to manage and reduce the impact of our emissions.
FSC® CERTIFICATION
FSC (Forest Stewardship Council ®) is an international organisation established to promote environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests. An FSC logo on timber or wood products represents that the product comes from environmentally appropriate and socially beneficial forestry.
PEFC® CERTIFICATION
The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC®) is an international, non-profit, non-governmental organisation promoting sustainable forest management through independent third-party certification. It is considered the certification system of choice for small forest owners. Selected Forté products are available as PEFC®) certified.