LONDON: The volume of certified timber products bought under the Timber Trade Federation's Responsible Purchasing Policy has almost doubled since 2007.
The Federation's annual report based on submissions for 2009 showed that 80.5% by volume of all products purchased by TTF members signed up to the scheme were certified.
The high level of certification of softwood products, more than 97%, and panel products are expected to show an increase.
The diverse supply sources for hardwoods continues to keep the level of certification and verification relatively low compared with other product groups although, according to signatories' targets, the level is expected to grow, the report said.
Jermain Cheetham, timber and sustainable product policy manager for Wolseley in the UK and Europe and chairman of Forests Forever, said: "I applaud RPP signatories for the excellent job they have done in increasing the volume of purchases from certified and legally-verified sources.
"When companies like Wolseley look at the responsible sourcing of products, I can honestly say the timber industry is still ahead of the game," he added.
