April is jam-packed with days celebrating nature and trees, including the two most popular – Earth Day and Arbor Day. When decided how to honor these holidays all we had to do was take a second look at the calendar; this week is Consumer Awareness Week, so with some help from The Forest Stewardship Council we have compiled a few tips on how to buy more-tree friendly products on Earth Day, Arbor Day and every day.
WHAT IS THE FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL?
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a non-profit organization that is a leader in sustainability. Their website statement says their mission is to “promote environmentally sound, socially beneficial and economically prosperous management of the world's forests.”
But what does that mean for consumers?
FSC is creating FSC-certified forests around the world that are harvested for wood in a sustainable, ethical manner – both for the trees and the indigenous people. When you see a product with the FSC-certified logo on it – whether it is lumber at the hardware store or a notebook at the office supply store – you know you are buying a product that is tree-friendly.
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SAVE TREES. BUY TREE-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS.
While shopping won’t save the world, we all need to buy some things to function in modern day society, so here are tips for buying products that are tree-friendly:
BUY FSC-CERTIFIED
As mentioned above, FSC has certified a wide variety of products you can feel good about buying. Check out their website to find brands they work with and products that have certified.
BUY FROM A TREE-PLANTING BRAND
Did you know there are brands out there that plant a tree every time you make a purchase? Actually, there are quite a few brands doing it! Check out this list of 10 great brands that will plant a tree in exchange for your business.
BUY GREEN FURNITURE
Buying furniture can be overwhelming, so narrow down your choices by only looking at eco-friendly furniture. Treehugger has a detailed list of how to find furniture that has a low environmental impact.
Finding out what “green” claims are real and which are a gimmick can be hard as a consumer, but FSC has made it easier and other organizations are quickly following their example.
If you have some tree-friendly shopping tips, share them with us on Facebook!
