Advantage No.1: Wood is a Carbon Sink
Whilst trees grow they release Oxygen into the atmosphere, at the same time they absorb from the atmosphere CO2 at an average rate of one tonne of Co2 per cubic metre of new wood. Co2 will be continuously absorbed in managed forests where matured trees are removed and replaced with new trees.
Advantage No.2: Wood is a Renewable Material
In Europe forests are increasing by over 500,000 hectares every year with only 64% of this growth used, leaving a surplus each year. As environment related regulations make sustainable forests management mandatory, using PEFC or FSC certified wood is a guarantee that the harvested wood is subject to controlled renewal.
European forests increases in volume by the equivalent of approximately one wooden house every second.
Advantage No.3: Wood is Energy Efficient
The energy consumed for the extraction and production of material is called “Production Energy”. The higher it is the more CO2 is emitted. Compared to other materials wood is very energy efficient in terms of production energy. Compared to PVC, Steel, Aluminium, brick or concrete, wood is the only material which provides a negative carbon balance due to forest “carbon sink” effect.
Advantage No.4: Wood Stores CO2
When wood is used as a manufactured product in construction the CO2 trapped during the growth of the tree remains stored throughout the period of use of the product. This storage of CO2 continues even longer when the wood is reused or recycled for other uses.
Once cut wood continues to store the absorbed CO2 throughout its period of utilisation
Advantage No.5: Wood is Recyclable
When the period of use for which the wood based product was manufactured comes to an end, wood can be easily recycled or reused which secures stored Co2 further into the future. The energy consumption to recycle timber is far less that that used to recycle other construction materials such as Concrete, Steel or plastics.
ADVANTAGE No. 6: Wood is a clean form of energy
By-products from wood production and manufacturing process (bark, sawdust, shavings, production rejects, etc.) as well as wood-based products which can no longer be recycled, are burned and used as an energy source, thereby completing wood’s “virtuous” cycle.
Wood then takes the place of traditional fossil fuels, supplying energy with a neutral CO2 balance: the CO2 released by the combustion of wood is equivalent to the amount that the wood absorbed during its growth. This combustion does not therefore contribute either to the greenhouse effect or to global warming.