New Report Finds Timber to be Better
A new report by the CSIRO has found that wood is a more environmentally friendly product
that plastics and metals
A new report from the CSIRO has found that building with wood, whether it is for
construction or furniture is significantly better for the environment than building with
synthetics and metals.
The report reviews the current literature available in regards to Life Cycle Analysis
(LCA), which puts timber at the top of environmentally friendly building and furniture
materials.
LCA is a process of quantifying the environmental impact brought on the world through the
use of a product. LCA measures the entire life of a product, from raw materials until the
final disposal or recycling.
The paper has stated that, ¡°wood (especially from sustainable
harvesting practices) has been shown to be the best material to use for many different
applications as it has a very minimal impact on the environment compared to other
materials such as metals and plastic.¡±
Timber has been found to release zero toxic and hazardous wastes in
production, requires substantially less energy to produce and has significantly lower
global warming potential.
¡°We welcome the findings of this latest CSIRO report,¡±
said Kate Carnell, Executive Director of the National Association of
Forest Industries.
¡°This shows the important role that sustainably harvested
timber has to play in addressing human impact on our environment.
¡°Timber is beautiful, practical and thermally efficient and
should be the first choice for builders and furniture manufacturers, world wide,¡±
Mrs Carnell said.
¡°As a resource, timber is renewable, solar powered,
biodegradable and best of all, locks up carbon from the atmosphere, reducing greenhouse
gases. You can¡¯t ask for a better product than wood.¡±
A copy of the report can be down loaded from NAFI's issues site
Source: NAFI Website
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