Top 3 Reasons to Choose Reclaimed Wood and Other Rainforest Alliance Products

Making purchasing decisions that reflect your environmental values can be tricky. Many manufacturers claim their products are eco-friendly, but savvy consumers know such claims are often inflated – or sometimes flat-out untrue. So how do you know that the products and materials you select are genuinely green? One way is to look for certification by the Rainforest Alliance.

The Rainforest Alliance is an organization that seeks to conserve biodiversity and fight poverty worldwide by encouraging better land-use practices, business practices and consumer decisions. Not only does the alliance help protect forests by educating people about the economic benefits of responsible forest stewardship but it points a neon arrow for consumers at products whose materials have been sustainably harvested. Coffee, wine, hair care products, a variety of foods and reclaimed wood products (such as our reclaimed wood floors) that have been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council are all examples of items that can bear the Rainforest Alliance seal.

Using recycled lumber instead of virgin wood is one way to make a home construction or remodeling project less harmful to the Earth. In fact, it is possible to build an entire house out of reclaimed timber – it’s been done right nearby in Beavercreek, Ore. – as beams, decks, wood floors and even cabinetry can all be made from reclaimed wood.

Still not convinced? Here are three reasons to buy Rainforest Alliance certified products:

1. The Rainforest Alliance helps stop deforestation

The primary drivers of environmental annihilation – logging, farming, cattle ranching and tourism – are big targets for this organization. Through their efforts, the managers of millions of acres of hotel properties, forests, ranches and farms now follow strict eco-conscious standards. By buying recycled lumber and other certified products, consumers send a strong message to companies that don’t follow sustainable practices: Fall in line, or get out of business.

2. The Rainforest Alliance is helping to end poverty

Many of the culprits in deforestation and habitat destruction are native residents who have no other livelihood but to clear-cut their local forests and sell the timber illegally. As part of its program to end deforestation, the Rainforest Alliance provides these impoverished communities with the tools and education to not only sustainably manage their natural resources, but to thrive.

3. The Rainforest Alliance makes businesses more accountable

The rampant greed and excesses of unchecked commercialism have gone on far too long. Thanks to organizations such as the Rainforest Alliance, companies are having a harder time hiding their destructive practices. When consumers buy reclaimed timber and other authentically sustainable products, businesses realize they have to walk the talk in order to succeed in today’s marketplace.