FORESCO OPTS FOR PEFC AND RECYCLED WOOD
The origin of every new board processed by Foresco is now known. Sustainability and circularity are key themes and through a multitude of endeavours, Foresco aims to make its own processes and products as sustainable as possible. This is the reason why, since 2025, only wood that meets PEFC certification will be purchased.
FULLY RENEWABLE
Head of Purchasing Frank van Hoesel: ”At Foresco, we want to use sustainable raw materials for the production of our pallets and packaging solutions. Wood is a wonderful product because it is the only fully renewable resource. All the wood we have sourced and used since 2025 comes from sustainably-managed forests or recycled wood. This means that the new wood comes from forests that are managed in a way that respects the ecological, social and economic functions of the forest. The forests will not be overused and will be preserved for future generations.”
SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT
Some key principles of sustainable forest management are:
- Reforestation: for every tree felled, new trees are planted or the forest can regenerate naturally.
- Biodiversity: preserving forest biodiversity by not cutting down all trees at once and protecting animal and plant habitats.
- Social responsibility: respecting the rights and welfare of local people and indigenous communities who depend on the forest.
- Economic sustainability: using the forest in a way that is also economically viable in the long term.
PEFC CERTIFICATION
Frank: ”Wood from sustainably-managed forests is often certified with labels such as FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) or PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification). These labels guarantee that the wood meets strict sustainability criteria. By purchasing wood with this certification, we contribute to forest conservation and environmental protection. We source our timber from around 100 sawmills, mainly in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and Germany. They buy the wood from thousands of forest owners. Thanks to current EUDR legislation, we basically know where every purchased board comes from. And with PEFC certification, we have the assurance that this is always a certified forest. This is very important to us at Foresco and in this regard we lead the way in Western Europe. By 2025, at least 99.9% of purchased wood will comply with PEFC certification!”
FINANCIAL CONSEQUENCES
Sustainable business costs money, there is no denying that. ”But we think it is so important and we are happy to invest in this,” Frank continued. ”We have been working on sustainability in many areas for years. The decision to buy only recycled and PEFC-certified wood wasn’t easy. We had to convince many people and even end our relationship with some suppliers. In the short term, the decision certainly affects our margins. Our challenge is therefore to avoid price increases. Fortunately, our size gives us a good negotiating position. And in the long run, opting for sustainability will certainly pay off. More and more customers are also backing this decision. For larger customers, opting for sustainability is especially obvious.”
EVERYTHING MUST BE RIGHT
PEFC certification involves a lot, especially as Foresco has more than 40 sites in the Benelux and Scandinavia. Frank: ”All Foresco companies have to be certified and work according to strict protocols. From sending a purchase order to booking freight and creating labels and packing slips, the entire chain of custody needs to be certified. And everything has to be correct from A to Z otherwise you could lose your certificate during an inspection. Internal and external audits take place annually; at headquarters every year and on top of that at five random sites. Our compliance officer supervises these audits and provides the appropriate paperwork. All in all, certification has quite an impact! An additional challenge arises from regulations being different in Belgium and the Netherlands.”
RECYCLED WOOD
In addition to PEFC wood, Foresco is also firmly committed to recycled wood. Frank: ”Recycling and reusing pallets is obviously a very valuable solution. For example, we have been using Foresco Collect, Repair & Re-use for a while now. With this innovative software platform, customers can easily have their own used pallets collected and redeployed. This makes the pallet management process efficient, transparent and clear. Damaged pallets are repaired to strict quality standards and redelivered. Collect, Repair & Re-use combines sustainability with cost savings and significantly extends the life cycle of pallets!"
DEMAND FOR WOOD GROWS
Frank: ”I am glad that we as Foresco have collectively chosen PEFC certification and recycled wood, among all other sustainability measures. I am proud of the fact that we are really leading the way in this area. I am convinced that our customers and environment appreciate our efforts in this area, and it is nice to work in a company that takes sustainability so seriously. Our choice of PEFC and recycled wood is crucial in this regard; perhaps the most important in our sustainability strategy. Especially with a view to the long term when demand for wood will continue to grow. I expect more sectors to discover the power of wood and that could potentially lead to scarcity. Therefore, it is good that we are now taking these important steps towards greater sustainability. And we are perfectly entitled to spread the word.”
Disclaimer: We comply with the PEFC ST 2002:2020 standard using verified sources.
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