Archived press release

Chelsea Flower Show clamps down on timber 'greenwash'

27 August 1999

Friends of the Earth is calling on all home and garden shows to insist that exhibitors sell FSC certified timber next year following the Royal Horticultural Society's request that exhibitors at next year's Chelsea Flower Show source timber from sources certified by the Forest Stewardship Council [1].

The RHS has tightened up on the greenwash often seen on timber products after green groups Friends of the Earth and Global Witness published a shocking report which showed that much of the garden furniture coming out of Vietnam was in fact made with illegally logged timber from Cambodia [2]. The report also quotes UK importers admitting that the documentation that they have from Vietnam is not worth the paper it is written on.

Sarah Tyack from Friends of the Earth said:

“We are very pleased that the RHS is trying to make exhibitors more responsible for the sourcing of their timber products. These false and sometimes absurd “green”claims on timber products serve only to cover a multitude of sins and are not helping curb widespread illegal logging in tropical countries which is destroying irreplaceable rainforests. We are therefore calling on other garden and home shows to follow the example of the RHS and insist that exhibitors source FSC certified timber.”

Patrick Alley from Global Witness said:

"The RHS has set a clear example that it is unacceptable to destroy the world's forests simply to provide leisure furniture - this will really contribute to crucial forestry reform in Cambodia our main area of operations"

NOTES TO EDITORS

[1] The Forest Stewardship Council accredits independent forest certifiers according to a set of high forest management principles that have been agreed by a diverse group of environmental,human rights and community based organisations, the timber trade, forestry profession and forest certification bodies. For further information call the FSC UK office on 01686 413916.

In a letter to exhibitors, the RHS said that space could not be confirmed for exhibitors failing

to meet the RHS policy on timber products. The letter goes on to say “Certification will preferably be endorsed by the Forest Stewardship Council and will take the form of an FSC Chain of Custody certificate and/or an “FSC approved” label attached to each product.”

[2] “Made in Vietnam, Cut in Cambodia” gives evidence of illegal logging in Cambodia supplying furniture factories in Vietnam. Illegal logging is being carried out by the Cambodian military which is destroying the country's precious forests. These forests are home to thousands of people, some of the richest forests in the world in terms of wildlife and are vital to Cambodia's economic future.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust