“Responsible Wood supports Wood Machining apprentices with industry insights”
Responsible Wood will take forest certification to the students following the announcement of a new sponsorship arrangement with the Furnishing and Joinery Industry Design and Innovation Centre.
As part of the arrangement, Responsible Wood will sponsorship top apprentices in Wood Machining set to be announced at an Awards Ceremony next Thursday, the 28th of March 2019.
Working with first-to-third year wood-machining apprentices, Responsible Wood will take machinists under its wing with industry tours through forests and the timber supply chain set to be organised.
According to Responsible Wood CEO Simon Dorries the new arrangement will provide an important step to educate joinery and cabinet making apprentices about forest certification and the importance of ensuring that timber selection meets important environmental checks and balances.
“We know that general awareness of forest certification amongst the furniture sector must improve, Responsible Wood, as Australia’s largest forest certification scheme, provides a trust mark to joinery and cabinet making trades people that seek to do the right thing.”
“By branching out to the Furnishing and Joinery Industry Design and Innovation Centre and through our ongoing strategic partnership with the Australian Furniture Association, Responsible Wood will look to close an all-important loop in forest certification,” Mr Dorries said.
With more than 90% of all Australian commercial forests now covered by certification, and with more than 250 Chain of Custody holders now involved in the scheme, Responsible Wood and PEFC certification provides an important step in demonstrating the legality of timber.
“More and more furniture suppliers and merchants are using third party forest certification schemes such as Responsible Wood and PEFC, as a means to verify the sustainable origin of timber and meet timber legality requirements.”
“Responsible Wood and PEFC, as internationally recognised forest certification schemes, have strong representation amongst commercial forests and major processors of timber, for the joinery, cabinet making and furniture sectors it’s a matter of being informed about forest certification and ensuring that suppliers are doing the right thing and participating in the scheme.”
“This is why branching out to apprentices is so important, for Responsible Wood it’s a case of educating the minds of tomorrow and closing the knowledge gap,” Mr Dorries said.
Responsible Wood director and AFA CEO Patrizia Torelli has long been an advocate for greater understanding of forest certification within the furniture sector.
Launching a new resource for AFA members (https://afaddt.australianfurniture.org.au/), joiners, cabinet makers, furniture manufacturers and retailers can gain a greater understanding of their due diligence obligations as required under Australian law.
For more information about the Furnishing and Joinery Industry Design and Innovation Centre Awards Ceremony please visit the Holmesglen Award Festival website.