There are many environmental benefits of using wood. It is a renewable and abundant resource and, as we transition to a low carbon economy, the advantages of wood are increasingly making it the material of choice for the environmentally conscious.
Sustainably-managed Western Australian timbers can be purchased in a number of ways.
Consumers can purchase timbers through sawmills, firewood suppliers and hardware stores, or at our public specialty timber auctions in Harvey and Manjimup.
Companies and other parties can obtain timber through these same channels, as well as through competitive tenders and production contracts.
The carbon cycle
Show moreThe carbon cycle is nature's way of recycling carbon.
There is a fixed amount of carbon on the earth and it cycles between the biosphere, ocean and atmosphere in a process of either being stored or released.
The natural balance has been upset by human activity, population growth, deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels.
Now more carbon is being released than stored and it is a key cause of climate change.
Carbon storage device
Show moreWood is a natural solution to tackle climate change. It is a renewable resource and, once harvested, it continues to store carbon during the lifespan of the product.
After harvesting, replanted forests and plantations provide more carbon storage because growing trees act as a sink to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2).
When forests get older, they reach a state of carbon equilibrium and the carbon captured each year equals the amount they release through decay.
This means a harvested and regenerated forest or plantation captures more carbon from the atmosphere than forests that are not harvested.
Choosing wood supports the ongoing harvest and regeneration cycle, allowing for the continued removal of carbon from the atmosphere while providing environmentally-friendly products.
Building with wood
Show moreWood is the most environmentally sustainable building material.
Its competitors – concrete, brick, aluminium and steel – are energy-intensive and have a high reliance on fossil fuels while wood, in comparison, is abundant, renewable, stores carbon and has low inputs to process. It has a strength-to-weight ratio 20 per cent higher than steel and four to five times higher than non-reinforced concrete.
Far less carbon emissions are produced in the manufacture of timber products than other building materials. By building a house in timber, the carbon emissions saved, compared to other materials, are equivalent to running a car for seven years.
Wood insulates 15 times better than concrete, 400 times better than steel and 1,770 times better than aluminium – and is more efficient at heating and cooling.
Educational resources
Show morePublications:
- FPC: Timber species from the South West of Western Australia poster
- FPC: Inland forests, woodlands and desert timber species of Western Australia poster
- FPC: Species information
Websites:
Forest Learning
We partner with Forest Learning – a national education portal bringing together resources from the forest and wood products industries across Australia.
Forest Learning provides school teachers and educators, children, and the public with information on Australian forests and forest-based products, and access to forestry teaching resources. It is further supported by links to key government, industry organisations and educational service providers.
