Because well managed forests are paramount to solving some of the major problems facing our planet, such as climate change, water quality and the protection of vulnerable species. Sustainable forest management involves ensuring that forests remain as complex, intact ecological systems that are not converted into other uses such as grassland or other non-forested areas, and guarantees that any harvested trees are replanted, thus continuing the vital role that forests play in pulling carbon out of the atmosphere and mitigating the negative effects of climate change.

CRAFT cares deeply about the principles of sustainability, and has made the commitment to using ONLY wood that is third-party certified to be sustainable. In other words, we’ve made the commitment to use certified wood for ALL of our products, and therefore our floors come certified sustainable by default. There’s no need to make a special request for it to be certified.

Our products are not made from FSC certified wood, but rather SFI certified wood. SFI is similar to FSC in that they offer third-party certification that wood comes from responsibly managed, sustainable forests.

It's hard for everyone to do research and try to figure out whether it is greenwashing or truly a certification that is certified by an impartial party. Here are the fundamental 3 levels of the varying landscape of 'eco-label' certifications:

First-Party:
An example of first-party certification is someone claiming that they are eco-friendly based on their own criteria. But it requires absolutely no verification or testing. It’s kind of like when 'brand XYZ' makes substantial claims but have absolutely no information supporting it. People call this greenwashing.

Second-Party:
Second-party certification is when a company creates their own certification standards that they need to meet, but only they can achieve. Let's say company 'XYZ' has a second party certification called “Future Friendly.” Only XYZ products can have this logo. This can be exceptionally misleading to the average consumer.

Third-Party:
A company needs to submit and pay for the application to a third-party organization. The brand and/or product are placed through a series of tests to see if it qualifies based on the criteria it needs to meet. If a company meets those standards, it can proudly display the certification logo.

There is no universal or governmental group that checks to see if a company’s product is ethical for the environment, workers, and customers.

To combat this issue, third-party certifications came about. These organizations are not affiliated with the government or the business. They are usually a group of experts who have experience in the industry. The organization comes up with their own standards by which they assess performance.

For building materials, there are many parts of the business: the sourcing of the materials, the workers who are making the products, the chemicals in the product, and the impact of that product on the environment and people. So there are third-party certification organizations for each of those parts.

A company needs to submit and pay for the application to the third-party organization. The brand and/or product are placed through a series of tests to see if it qualifies based on the criteria it needs to meet. If a company meets those standards, it can proudly display the certification logo.

Because of the rigorous testing and cost that comes with achieving the certification. You cannot stamp any certification on a product if it does not meet those standards. It is entirely impartial and solely based on whether a company meets the criteria.

So third-party certifications are important to look for; you might know several of the well-known options, but there’s a lot to remember! There are over 400 certifications available.

Projects seeking LEED certification can earn points under an ACP for using SFI certified wood products. In addition to using certified sustainable wood, all of our products are certified GREENGUARD Gold, which means that they exhibit ultra-low levels of VOCs and therefore contribute to healthy living spaces with great indoor air quality. GREENGUARD Gold certification means that it also qualifies for a point (IEQc2) in LEED. Further information on using CRAFT to earn credits in Green Building rating systems can found here.