Who's specifying FSC-certified wood? According to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), even organizations like the Olympic Delivery Authority — the public agency responsible for constructing new Olympic venues — is into sustainably forested products. The 2012 Olympic Park in London is officially FSC-certified. Here are some fast facts:
  • 100: Percentage of wood products supplied to ODA that are defined as "legal and sustainable."
  • 66%: Minimum percentage of wood being used that is FSC-certified.
  • 5,000 square meters: Amount of western red cedar cladding on the Olympic Park Velodrome, shown above (almost 54,000 square feet).
  • 56 kilometers: Linear amount of surface timber used for the Velodrome's Siberian pine track (almost 184,000 linear feet).

Sources: fsc.org, london2012.com

Can't make it to London? For your green-minded products closer to home, here are two new sustainably forested materials to try.

Wood That Wows
The grain of each layer of FSC-certified Terra Legno engineered flooring is laid out at a 90-degree angle to the previous layer to achieve dimensional stability. Seven sublayers of Russian birch hardwood are criss-crossed with low-emitting glue before being pressed, veneered, and finished. The cross-ply constructed plywoods are comprised of almost 100% rapidly renewable materials. Use of younger, smaller trees equals more square feet of flooring per harvested tree compared with products from other manufacturers. Terra Legno | 800.393.7424 | terralegno.com

Resilient & Resourceful
Without any toxic additives, a high-tech acetylation process strengthens Accoya wood's protection again water by altering its cell structure. The result is wood for siding, decking, windows, doors, and other applications that offers a Class 1 durability rating, resists swelling and shrinking, and retains coatings more easily. Made from radiata pine, Accoya wood is sourced from FSC- and PEFC-certified forests and carries a Cradle-to-Cradle Gold label. The reusable and recyclable material is now available in alder, ideal for exterior and interior applications such as windows, doors, flooring, cabinetry, and molding. Accsys Technologies | 972.233.6565 | accoya.com