Despite the popularity of Home Depot, there are many untold truths about the retailer that can leave someone second-guessing whether to shop there. While the store sells various types of lumber, it begs the question: “Does Home Depot ethically source its lumber?” By not ethically sourcing lumber, the continued cutting down of trees can lead to deforestation, which impacts the ecosystem and wildlife. Ultimately, if we want to shop for sustainably sourced materials, it’s our responsibility as consumers to understand which businesses adhere to such practices. Reviewing policies and value statements is the easiest way to find out how a company conducts operations. Thankfully, Home Depot has managed to make this environmental practice one of its main priorities. …it has created a Responsible Sourcing Supplier Manual that lays out best practices for ethically sourcing lumber.
Attention has been focussed on the sourcing and processing of concrete and steel as the industries attempt to reduce their GHG emissions. As the world looks for alternatives, mass timber construction (MTC) has risen in prominence and popularity for ever-larger construction projects. The argument in favour of wood over steel or concrete is quite simple: Trees capture and embody carbon, whereas steel and concrete production only emits it. However, wood’s embodied carbon story is complicated and far from emissions-free. Informed decisions concerning the use of MTC necessitate more than a simplified carbon embodiment claim. …Peter Moonen, national sustainability manager for the Canadian Wood Council, said Canada has more than double the hectares of “certified forest” than any other country in the world. …Yet that only matters if procurement processes require confirmation that the wood originates from a managed or certified forest. 
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, announced two contributions through the
Plastic recycling rates are declining even as production shoots up, according to a Greenpeace U.S. report.” Titled “
Edward Becker, an associate professor in the College of Architecture, Arts and Design says the Southwest Virginia and West Virginia region is the mecca of hardwood resources in North America. Becker’s research focuses on using low carbon, sustainable resources for building construction using mass timber products. Specifically, students work with cross-laminated wood. The crucial element? The joint effort with AAD and the College of Natural Resources and Environment. The Think Wood exhibit is presented by the Softwood Lumber Board, and is a culmination of the collaboration between the two colleges. [Open story to watch the full video]
The Southern Forest Products Quarter Two Update: We’ve had a productive first half of the year. …Our plans for hosting the Forest Products Machinery & Equipment EXPO (EXPO) in Nashville in August 2023 are well underway with space for exhibitors filling up quickly. Already, more than half of the exhibit hall floor plan has been reserved – outpacing exhibit space sales from previous EXPOs, only confirming that Nashville is a welcomed change. Domestically, SFPA forged new connections and promoted Southern Pine at the NAHB International Builders’ Show®, Journal of Light Construction and AIA Conference on Architecture, and we’re strengthening our position as a trusted information resource for Southern Pine lumber. Continuing promotional efforts throughout the global pandemic, SFPA’s international program supported traditional SYP export markets and is exploring new opportunities with renewed USDA FAS funding.
North Wilkesboro, NC — National Forest Products Week is an appropriate time to consider an industry that has had an anchoring presence in the Wilkes County economy since … the early 1900s. …Demand for the county’s hardwood timber remains strong, but there has been a decline in the number of lumber mills here in recent years and now the timber procurement portion of this industry is suffering from a shortage of loggers. This … has become severe enough to force some lumber mills in the Wilkes area and across the state out of business. A recent study by researchers at N.C. State University on the forest products industry looked into this issue and found that it’s largely due to the physical demands and safety hazards of logging. …A negative factor that is unique to the Wilkes County area is a shift in operations at the Louisiana Pacific manufacturing complex in Roaring River.
This study examined methods for estimating carbon stocks in wood products used in existing wooden houses built by private building companies and estimated these values focusing on wooden houses built by Sumitomo Forestry Co., Ltd. Moreover, we discussed the data and methods required for more accurate estimates. …Carbon stocks in wood products used in existing wooden houses at the start of FY2021 were estimated to be approximately 1.96 million t-C under the DIM, equal to more than half of carbon stocks in domestic forests owned by the target company, which suggests that wooden houses play a significant role in carbon storage. …It is important for private building companies to continuously acquire time-series data on the floor areas of both newly constructed and existing houses and wood products used in them to improve the accuracy of estimates in the future.
