June 17, 2010

The Hardwood Council has recently released a one-page reference for helping professionals who desire to be environmentally friendly select building or design material, “How Selecting Materials Impacts Our Lives – What to Consider for Material Selection.”

The guide looks at what to consider for material selection, asking questions about how the material is made and what kinds of impact it has on the environment. It also looks at the maintenance and recyclability of the material. With each question, the document looks at the answer in terms of North American hardwoods, helping to inform builders and designers about the hardwoods.

Another thing the Hardwood Council addresses in its reference is the idea of a carbon footprint and how wood fits into the phenomenon. It better explains the environmental benefits of wood in general, as well as hardwood products, giving the designer a better look at what makes hardwoods environmentally friendly.

The Hardwood Council is a coalition of hardwood lumber and product associations whose goal is to increase the use of North American hardwoods in building and design. It claims that these hardwoods are sustainable and carbon-neutral, explaining that they store carbon both as trees and as products made from the trees.