b'When choosing a carpet thats kind to both the planet andFull FSC certication guarantees that the timber comes from your living environment, look for those with Environmentalproperly managed forests, and that it was harvested legally, ChoiceNewZealand(ECNZ)certicationandevidenceofsustainably and with respect for the rights of the local people. environmental management standards and systems, such asAn independent, non-prot organisation, the FSC is one of ISO 14001 or Enviro-mark, and Zero Waste, EBEX 21, or Thethe most reputable certication bodies in the world, and is Natural Step. supported by WWF, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and the Timbera growing concern Environmental Investigation Agency.Natural,availableinawiderangeofcolours,andvisuallyAlternatively, buy locally made where possible. Our indigenous attractive,timberoorshavebeenapopularchoicefortimbers,suchasbeech,rimuandtawa,nowcomefrom everythingfromvillastomoderntownhousesandholidayprivately owned, sustainably managed forests. These must be homes.Theyreapracticaloptionthatrequiresminimalmanaged to the highest standards and according to individual caretocontinuelookinggreat,andthedurabilityofsolidplans set out by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. timber ooring means it will still be in your home long afterChoose plantation timbers or ecotimber, such as vitex, which youre gone.is harvested from community-based eco-forestry operations. Timber can be polyurethaned, stained, waxed and painted toAlso, look for second-hand timber, as recycled materials have create a range of different looks from modern to traditional,the least impact on the environment.andtheknots,colourvariationsandimperfectionsaddaBamboo is another great renewable timber option thats not only particular charm. Being hard wearing, timber is ideal for heavilyvery attractive, but is also extremely stable and hardwearing, trafcked areas such as entranceways and stairs. making it ideal for ooring. It grows to full maturity in just ve The difculty in choosing timber comes with knowing whetheryears (versus the 30-50 years of traditional hardwoods) and, what youre buying is from a renewable and environmentallyonce cut, it rejuvenates quickly. And dont worry about the sound source. Put simply, for timber to be sustainable, a treeimpact on pandasthey eat a different species to the bamboo must be planted for every one thats harvested, and the forestused for ooring.must maintain its ecological integrity and continue to benetAnd if you still cant decide whether carpet or timber is the best the local people long term. ooring option for your home, why not combine the two and Kwila,ormerbau,hasbeenaverypopulartropicaltimberenjoy the best of both worlds?for decking and ooring. But global demand for this cheap hardwood has led to the destruction of natural habitats and the exploitation of local communities in South-East Asia wheretop pit grows. According to Greenpeace, virtually all kwila on thetipmarket is from illegal sources in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Indonesian forests are being logged faster than anyFortimberooring,lookforGoodWoodproducts other forested nation, and more than three quarters of themade from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or veried-countrys timber production is thought to be illicit. Few ooringlegal wood.manufacturers know the precise source of the kwila they sellFor carpet, look for Environmental Choice New Zealand and cannot show it was legally sourced. (ECNZ)certicationandevidenceofenvironmental Thebestwaytochoosesustainabletimberandavoidmanagement standards and systems, such as ISO 14001 contributing to global deforestation is to look for Good WoodorEnviro-mark,andZeroWaste,EBEX21,orThe productsmadefromForestStewardshipCouncil(FSC)orNatural Step.veried-legal wood. Look for the FSC logo on the packaging. words Deirdre Colemanpictures Cavalier Bremworth and Bamboo Flooring Systems'