Sustainable wooden furniture for restaurants, bars and other commercial settings, along with that sold for home use, will be subject to new regulations from 2013.
The EU Timber Regulation is due to come into force in March of that year, in an attempt to make sure sustainable wooden furniture manufactured and sold in the EU is not undermined by illegally sourced raw materials.
Under the terms of the regulation, companies that first introduce timber into the EU market - such as furniture manufacturers and importers, but not including resellers within Europe - must undertake a due diligence process to make sure it is sustainably sourced.
FIRA, the Furniture Industry Research Association, has issued a guidance note to those working in the sector, giving them chance to prepare for the legislation.
"It is recognised that good forest management can contribute to climate change mitigation and provide environmental, social, political and economic benefits," FIRA comments.
For customers buying sustainable wooden furniture for bars, restaurants and similar commercial premises, the regulation offers peace of mind that the environmental impact of the purchase will be minimised.
At Trent Furniture, our wood is already sourced from properly managed, sustainable forests, and all of our waste products are recycled where possible.