Home Depot: Good Wood?

Home Depot is one of the largest home improvement businesses in the world. It sells a lot of wood.

In 1999 the company issued a Wood Purchasing Policy after environmental groups called attention to the impact of harvesting in old growth forests and importing wood from countries with lax regulations. Today the company says it gives preference to certified wood products, does not buy wood from endangered forest regions and seeks to promote the responsible use of wood.

The Forest Stewardship Council certification is the only third party label denoting sustainable harvest practices mentioned on Home Depot’s Web site. Many environmental groups hold the FSC standard as a true statement of sustainability. But this is not the only certification that can be seen plastered on Home Depots lumber inventory.

A stroll through a Home Depot here in Chicago revealed some pine boards sporting the FSC sticker. According to the FSC site this promises a commitment to sustainable harvesting techniques , respect for workers rights and lawful practices by the lumber supplier. Nearby were shelves of 2 x 4’s with a different label: SFI.

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative is another certification group which has been highlighted by environmental groups as just a marketing ploy by industry. In its “Buy Good Wood” campaign Rainforest Action Network, the activist organization that first pressured Home Depot to change its wood purchasing ways, describs the SFI as, “Multinational loggers armed with multi-million dollar Public Relations contracts…designed to evade higher standards and mislead consumers.”

Even if someone was looking for sustainable planks they might have a hard time finding them. There was no promotion of the certified wood and no explanation as to what the three letter acronym stickers even mean. Not a sign. Not an arrow. Not an informational booklet anywhere.

If more people were interested in sustainable wood there would be a greater focus on it, said Robert Mueller, a section manager at the store. There would be classes for employees and more signage. For now those looking for sustainable wood are usually interested in hardwood floor options since mahogany and walnut take longer to grow, he said. Home Depot also offers an alternative bamboo flooring which can be ordered.

While we sprinted around the store (Robert’s a fast walker) from GreenWorks bottle to CFL recycling container there were sustainable options everywhere. But they were a bit hidden. I would not have seen the battery recycling box in the corner or noticed the small LED lights amongst the CFLS if Robert had not been pointing them out.

Consumer interest is why Home Depot’s shelves now carry greener cleaning products and energy efficient light bulbs. Next time you’re in a store just ask about their sustainable wood products and certification, it will at least get them thinking.

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Elizabeth Ulion is a graduate student at Northwestern University. She blogs.

Photos courtesty of striatic and mag3737/Flickr