Forest Products Industry

IKEA is one of the world’s largest consumers of wood. Almost 15 million cubic metres of the material are used every year in cheap IKEA products with millions of trees felled for the mass production machine. Source: Danish Film Institute IKEA Loves Wood (‘IKEA elsker træ’) is a Danish investigative documentary that looks at IKEA’s forestry practices in the Rumanian Carpathian Mountains, an area with some of the last old-growth forests of Europe. Biologists, environmental groups and local activists say the Swedish furniture giant’s timber production is having a significant impact on old-growth forests and biodiversity. IKEA, however, states that it doesn’t tolerate illegal or unethical practices and that its suppliers are carefully selected. A trailer in English for the documentary is at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IodzOvrrfNA The documentary is available to view in Danish with English subtitles at: https://www.dw.com/en/ikea-loves-wood/video-77861212

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A research initiative has demonstrated that there is “major potential” for English-grown timber in sustainable construction. The Building from England’s Woodlands project, funded by the Forestry Commission’s Woods into Management Forestry Innovation Fund, has demonstrated that England’s broadleaf forests could play a role in delivering low-carbon buildings, supporting biodiversity and strengthening domestic supply chains. Source: Inside housing The project, led by the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE), Edinburgh Napier University, Built Environment – Smarter Transformation (BE-ST), Ecosystems Technologies and dRMM Architects, explored how English-grown timber can be used more effectively in modern building systems. It found that English hardwoods can play a significant role in structural applications when selected and specified appropriately. The project also developed hybrid engineered timber products that combine hardwood and softwood within the same structural element. Testing showed that hybrid cross-laminated timber and glued-laminated timber products (glulam) met all required strength and durability criteria using existing manufacturing methods. The use of hardwood in key structural zones also allowed for material savings of approximately between 10% and 15%. Real-world examples included the Building from Forests display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the installation of a hybrid hardwood-softwood glulam beam in NMITE’s new Skills Hub building in Hereford. The project also found that the greater use of English timber could reduce embodied carbon, increase long-term carbon storage in buildings, support more resilient and biodiverse forests, and strengthen rural economies through local manufacturing and value-added processing. The findings mark a step towards a future where forests, manufacturing and construction work together to create sustainable buildings while supporting healthier landscapes and stronger local economies, the research said. The research also aligns with the UK government’s Timber in Construction Roadmap and wider net zero ambitions. David Bole, head of green economy and skills at the Forestry Commission, said: “By unlocking the potential of our forests, we can reduce reliance on imported and carbon-intensive materials, support healthier and more resilient woodlands, and create new opportunities for sustainable growth across the forestry, manufacturing and construction sectors.” Louise Rogers, impact manager of housing and manufacturing at BE-ST, said: “This work directly supports the ambitions of the Timber in Construction Roadmap by providing evidence that innovation, domestic manufacturing capability and supply chain collaboration can help accelerate the transition to a lower-carbon built environment.” Last month, researchers at the University of Manchester found that future climate change will need a clear shift in the sector towards summer cooling requirements in social housing. In April, a housing association urged social landlords to step up their efforts to improve biodiversity, saying it is “in the sector’s interest” to invest in nature recovery.  

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