The FSC ® (FSC-C028812) certification indicates that the wood used to manufacture certain derived products, including floor coverings and flooring, comes from sustainable forests.
Currently, there are different certificates related to sustainable forest management, with FSC and PEFC being the most important and internationally recognised.
The FSC and PEFC certifications guarantee that the wood is obtained through controlled felling, with replacement procedures and without the indiscriminate annihilation of “green lungs” and/or protected natural spaces all over the planet.
On a personal level, these seals verify that the products we buy comply with existing regulations and reinforce our commitment to sustainability, as people increasingly value the ecological characteristics of what we consume.
What is the FSC certification?
The “FSC label” is the name by which the certification of the Forest Stewardship Council is popularly known.
This non-governmental, independent, non-profit association was founded in 1993.
Today, it is made up of representatives of social and environmental groups, traders, indigenous peoples’ organisations, community groups and certifying organisations for sustainable natural wood products from all over the world.
Although the FSC certificatel is not only present in natural wood, there are also other types of products that can carry this quality seal. In the case of L’Antic Colonial, the SKINS EMPYREAL wallpaper collection has the seal.
Since its origins, the FSC Seal in Spain has been promoted by WWF-Adena and Greenpeace.
Three decades after its birth, it can be considered one of the benchmark socio-environmental certification systems for forest owners, leading companies in the market, public administrations and citizens.
How do I know if a product is FSC certified?
FSC-certified products have a number of labels that you can find directly on the product, on its packaging or on its commercial data sheet.
These labels can only be used by certified companies (FSC Chain of Custody) and allow you to describe both the source and the composition of the forest-based material used.
There are three different FSC labels:
FSC 100%
All materials used in products bearing this label come from forests audited to confirm their management according to the social and environmental standards of the Forest Stewardship Council.
FSC Recycled
The FSC Recycled label indicates that the materials or products are made from 100% recycled materials (post-consumer or pre-consumer).
FSC Mixed
Products with this label are made from a mixture of materials from FSC certified forests, recycled materials and/or FSC controlled wood.
The latter does not have an FSC label, but meets minimum sustainability requirements.
Similarities and differences between FSC and PEFC
FSC and PEFC certifications have more similarities than differences.
Both the PEFC Certification and the FSC label show special interest in the so-called “chain of custody”, which can be defined as the set of rules and/or monitoring processes to ensure that a raw material originates from where it is said to originate.
The chain of custody of timber includes processes ranging from control during harvesting, to labelling, logging, security seals, etc.
If at any point the chain of custody is broken, the origin of the material cannot be verified and there is a risk of selling the consumer something different from what has been promised.
In this sense, both FSC and PEFC certificates guarantee that the wood in their products comes from efficiently and sustainably managed sites.
In addition, both labels are compatible with international certifications, such as ISO 9001 on quality control or ISO 14001 on requirements for an effective and responsible environmental management system (EMS).
Regarding the differences between FSC and PEFC, the main distinction is the entity that promotes each certification in Spain: in the first case, the Forest Stewardship Council, which includes Greenpeace and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF); in the second, the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification, which is also an independent, non-profit organisation.
What is the FSC certificate for?
Implementing this type of mechanism in products such as L’Antic Colonial’s natural wood floors offers numerous advantages and benefits, among which we list the following:
- It is an element of diversification within companies in the same sector.
- It allows us to differentiate ourselves from the competition.
- It improves the corporate image.
- It reinforces the company’s commitment to sustainability.
- It brings us closer to customers who are aware of environmental problems, such as global warming.
TREVILLE, LUTHIER and CLASSIC: FSC-certified sustainable natural wood floors
L’Antic Colonial’s natural wood floors meet all quality and environmental criteria.
In fact, many of them have PEFC or FSC certificates, as well as a 30-year guarantee.
In each product’s file, which you can see on our website, you will also find other interesting information, such as its origin (usually European countries, but also from Asia or America) or the varnishing and staining materials used.
At L’Antic Colonial we currently have three series of natural wood floors that have FSC certification: TREVILLE, LUTIER and CLASSIC.
- The CLASSIC collection stands out in particular, with herringbone installation and made from oak wood. This floor, as its name suggests, is particularly suitable for classic and rustic environments, and is available in different compositions and colours (natural, brown, camel, grey or Classic Ebony).
- L’Antic Colonial’s TREVILLE wooden floors are also made from oak wood and are available in several colours (three ranges of brown and two ranges of grey), and have a large number of knots, which gives them more personality.
- As for our LUTIER floors, they are made of ash wood and available in two colours: grey and brown.
Find out more about our wooden floors by consulting the catalogue available on our website.
