Environmental
Timber
Wood used for furniture available for purchase in the UK market may have been unsustainably or illegally sourced.
Deforestation is one of the greatest issues that we currently face. Forests cover 31% of the land on our planet and are home to around 80% of land-based species.* Acting as huge carbon sinks, they absorb and store carbon dioxide that would otherwise be in the atmosphere contributing to global warming. In 2019, the tropics lost close to 30 football pitches’ worth of trees every single minute*, largely related to animal agriculture, but with consumption of tropical timber by industrial countries being a contributing factor.
We ensure that all wood we use is from sustainable sources, never adding to the destruction of natural forests and habitats.
We only use regulated, vetted and frequently visited suppliers. They are all members and holders of:
- FSC – Responsible Forestry.
- PEFC Promoting sustainable forest management.
- ISO9001 – Importing and Purchasing of hardwoods and softwoods.
- ISO14001 – Importing and Purchasing of veneers.
- TTF – Member of the Timber Trade Federation.
- TTF – Responsible purchasing policy.
- TRADA – Member of the Timber research and Development Association.
- TRADA – Forest Products Chain of Custody.
- British Woodworking Federation membership.
Along side these vital sustainable forestry certificates we also consider and recognise:
- FORES – Haulage and transposition of goods.
- Environmental and ethical policy.
- Human trafficking and modern slavery.
* Source: WWF
Our timber suppliers are all members and holders of:
Solvents
Lacquering and re-finishing products that are solvent based are hugely damaging to the environment.
These solvents are high in VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), which are carbon-based chemicals that readily evaporate at room temperature. As well as being bad for health if breathed in, they have other effects such as contributing to the formation of ozone at ground level, which absorbs uv rays, leads to poor air quality and is damaging to plant life.
The substantially lower cost of solvent-based products means that they are still readily used in the furniture industry.
At Lamco we exclusively use water-based lacquering and re-finishing products.
Over the years we have constantly updated our processes to use the latest products that are the best for health and the environment and offer the superior finish that we are known for, always putting these factors above cost. 100% of our lacquers and paints are now water based.
