Empatika has joined WWF’s latest campaign to put a stop to illegally sourced wood in the UK

It comes as no surprise that we work with timber on a daily basis for our eco-fitted furniture, and that’s why it’s essential that we continue to be a sustainable business. The environment is important to us all, and protecting it is something Tristan and all the Empatika team are very passionate about.

Many companies claim to have eco-friendly policies, but in reality, they don’t work hard enough at it. We put sustainability at the heart of everything we do and already have a number of sustainable measures in place:

  • We always use responsibly sourced wood from well-managed forests
  • We use pioneering recycled materials wherever possible, including straw boards and recycled plastic
  • Our Milo furniture range is produced entirely from discarded waste wood, this means we make something beautiful out of our waste and keep the cycle going
  • We use green energy and recycled paper in our office
  • We support important charities such as World Land Trust and the Woodland Trust; when a customer chooses one of our eco options, we plant a tree and buy an acre of a tropical rainforest to ensure it is not passed into the hands of developers and poachers

We are passionate about protecting the world’s forests so joining the WWF #SaveForests campaign was a natural step.

We have joined big businesses such as B&Q, M&S and Travis Perkins, and we’re calling on others to do the same.

You may think most responsible businesses are doing enough to ensure products are made from sustainable wood, which comes from forests where trees are replanted. Unfortunately, this is not true. Even here in the UK, you can buy furniture and books made from illegally sourced wood.

There are regulations in place to prevent illegally sourced wood entering the EU, however, there are many loopholes in the law. Most of us have no idea that the items we are buying on a daily basis could be contributing to forest destruction around the world and that’s why WWF have started this campaign to raise awareness around the issue.

On average, each person consumes a tonne of timber a year.

10-20% of that could be illegal.

This campaign isn’t raising money or asking for donations, it is simply a campaign to raise awareness of the issue. As an individual, all you have to do is add your name to the list to show your support, then you can continue to spread the word by sharing the campaign on social media.

Hopefully by 2020, UK businesses will pledge to buy timber and wood products from sustainable sources, to make sure consumers aren’t buying illegally sourced wood unknowingly. If the EU reviews and changes the current law, irresponsibly sourced timber can be eradicated from the EU market altogether.

Together, we can save the forests – click here to go to the #SaveForests campaign and add your name now, it only takes a minute. To find out which companies have pledged their support, click here.