Forté’s commitment to environmental sustainability

In this article, we share more about our partnership with Toitū and our other sustainability initiatives, as well as the environmental benefits of our engineered wood flooring collections and other timber products. 

Toitū CarbonReduce

Toitū Envirocare is a New Zealand Government-owned Crown Research Institute dedicated to ensuring New Zealand companies are equipped to make tangible environmental progress. With Toitū, we gain the tools, actions, and evidence to make measurable change. The CarbonReduce certification shows that we are committed to measuring our carbon footprint and implementing ongoing strategies to manage and reduce our emissions. 

CarbonReduce at Forté

• Improving the efficiency of company-wide freight shipping, 

• Improving the efficiency of road and air freight,

• Improving the efficiency of vehicle costs.

While many businesses settle for offsetting their emissions, we work to actively reduce our emissions and make real changes to our processes. We are also committed to achieving carbon zero by 2028, meaning no carbon emissions will be produced during the manufacturing of our engineered wood products. 

Our sustainability initiatives

At Forté, we care deeply about the environment and all it provides. In a world where climate change and deforestation are serious threats, we realise the urgency of making positive progress. That’s why we are committed to reducing our company’s impact on the environment with our products and processes.

Engineered wood flooring is one of the most sustainable flooring options. It uses fewer natural resources, produces no toxic emissions, is fully recyclable, and uses a fraction of the amount of hardwood compared to solid timber. 

Efficient use of natural resources 

All of our timber collections have an engineered construction, containing approximately one-third of slow-growing hardwood resources compared to solid timber. 

Sustainable forestry

Our products are made with FSC® or PEFC®-certified timber that is sustainably sourced. This helps preserve natural forests and promotes responsible forestry practices around the world.

Non-toxic wood flooring

Our timber flooring collections are finished with a non-toxic water-based polyurethane with no added formaldehyde. This means our floors are low in volatile organic compounds (VOC) and no toxic fumes or odours are released into the environment. This improves indoor air quality and eliminates toxic emissions. 

Additionally, our floors are pre-finished in the factory, meaning they do not require sanding and sealing on-site. This prevents further waste and emissions from being released during the installation process. 

Longevity and durability

Our engineered timber floors are built to last, meaning you won’t need to replace them as frequently. If installed with the glue-down method, our engineered wood floors have an impressively long lifespan. Depending on the veneer thickness, they can be re-sanded up to 5 times, giving them an impressive lifespan of 30 to 50 years. 

With a strong core backing and a hardwood wear layer, our products are durable, robust, and able to be re-sanded multiple times. Unlike solid wood flooring, our flooring has a better moisture barrier so it won’t cup, warp, or bow. This significantly reduces production, transportation, and disposal over time.

Reduced waste

To reduce our use of plastics, we use FSC® certified recyclable boxes to package our sample boxes and print our catalogues on FSC® certified papers. In-house, we also actively reduce our in-house paper and plastic usage, opting for sustainable and digital alternatives. 

Forté engineered wood collections

• Engineered wood flooring

• Wood panelling

• Decking

• Exterior cladding

• Commercial wood flooring